DWCS appeals decision
, Publisher
09-03-2008
Despite a ruling by a federal judge last month that proposed charter school D’Arbonne Woods did not meet a federal desegregation standards, ending its hopes of opening for the 2008 school year, the school’s board members press on.
D’Arbonne Woods has filed an appeal of United States District Judge Robbie James’ ruling, which stated that D’Arbonne Woods did not meet the federal desegregation order as set forth in Cleveland vs. Union Parish School Board.
“Our mission and vision has not changed,’’ said D’Arbonne Woods board president Corie Williams. “We continue to look at rural education in Union Parish and what can be done to improve it and what our part can be.’’
D’Arbonne Woods has filed an appeal with the Fifth District Appellate Court in New Orleans, which can over turn Judge James’ ruling, deny D’Arbonne Woods’ appeal, or set forth new instructions.
“We’re waiting to hear from that court,’’ Williams said. “I would anticipate we would know something in late fall or early spring, but there’s no guarantees.’’
D’Arbonne Woods had been approved for a Type II charter by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. It also had taken occupancy of the old Rocky Branch Elementary School and was preparing to open this past August when James made his ruling.
“It was very disappointing,’’ Williams said. “It was not something we anticipated being a problem. We knew we had followed the letter of the law and everything BESE had laid out. We had support and approval of BESE and House and Senate, which both passed resolutions on our behalf.’’
James made his ruling based on the demographic makeup of D’Arbonne Woods’ prospective student body, which did not reflect the overall demographics of Union Parish’s other public schools – which are 50 percent white and 50 percent black -- as well as its location in Rocky Branch, an almost entirely white community.
D’Arbonne Woods’ accepted applications for 225 students included two African-American, four Hispanic and two bi-racial.
Still, Williams remains unfazed by the setbacks and said D’Arbonne Woods, whose charter is good for a 36-month period, will continue to push to be a part of the public school system in Union Parish.
“I don’t think these people are ready to give up on reform in Union Parish in the public education realm,’’ Williams said. “Opening more private schools or having home school rolls continue to climb and losing families in Union Parish is not the way to improve the school system here. That’s not working.
“We’re just as confident as we always were that the charter school is a way for meaningful reform.’’
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