Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-alnd-5_63-cv-00613/USCOURTS-alnd-5_63-cv-00613-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

NORTHEASTERN DIVISION

KEITH ELLISON, et al., ) 

) 

Plaintiffs ) 

) CIVIL ACTION NUMBER

and ) 

) 5:63-CV-00613-MHH

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ) 

) 

Plaintiff-Intervenor, ) 

) 

v. ) 

) 

MADISON COUNTY BOARD OF ) 

EDUCATION, ) 

) 

Defendant. ) 

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

Consistent with its obligations under the desegregation order that governs 

this action, the Madison County Board of Education seeks court approval for a 

proposed grade reconfiguration for its New Hope Elementary School and its New 

Hope High School. (Doc. 183). Neither the private plaintiffs nor the United 

States opposes the Madison County Board’s motion regarding grade 

reconfiguration. (Doc. 183, p. 10). 

The Court must examine the Board’s proposal to determine whether the 

proposal will advance, or at least do no harm, to the goals of this public school 

FILED

 2020 May-13 AM 08:38

U.S. DISTRICT COURT

N.D. OF ALABAMA

Case 5:63-cv-00613-MHH Document 184 Filed 05/13/20 Page 1 of 4
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desegregation case. See Green v. County School Bd. of New Kent Cnty., Va., 391 

U.S. 430, 436 (1968), and Freeman v. Pitts, 503 U.S. 467, 489 (1992) (explaining 

that in a public school desegregation case, “the court’s end purpose” is “to remedy 

the [constitutional] violation” and ensure that the district has transitioned to “a 

unitary, nonracial system of public education” so that the court may “restore [to] 

state and local authorities” the control of their public schools). 

The Madison County Board bears the burden of establishing that the 

proposed grade reconfigurations neither perpetuate nor reestablish a dual school

system. On the record before the Court, the Board has met its burden.

New Hope Elementary School currently includes grades Pre-K – 8, and 

New Hope High School includes grades 9 – 12. New Hope Elementary School is 

a feeder school to New Hope High School, and both schools are located on one 

campus. The Madison County Board is in the process of constructing a building 

for the 7th and 8th grades on the New Hope campus. The Board proposes 

reconfiguring New Hope Elementary School to a Pre-K – 6 school and New Hope 

High School to a 7 – 12 high school. 

For several academic, programmatic, and economic reasons unrelated to 

desegregation, the Madison County Board wishes to adjust the grade 

configurations in the New Hope attendance zone. Because the Madison County

Board wishes to make these changes for reasons other than desegregation, the 

Case 5:63-cv-00613-MHH Document 184 Filed 05/13/20 Page 2 of 4
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Court does not evaluate the overall wisdom of the proposals but instead considers 

only the constitutional ramifications of the proposed changes. 

The Madison County Board’s proposed changes to New Hope Elementary 

School and New Hope High School will not impact the Board’s efforts to comply 

with its desegregation obligations because the racial composition of the student 

bodies of the reconfigured schools will be nearly identical to the racial 

composition of the student bodies at the schools in their existing configurations. 

(See Doc. 183, pp. 7–8). For example, the student body of New Hope High School 

currently is 79.84% White and 3.49% Black. (Doc. 183, p. 8). If approved as 

proposed, the student population at New Hope High School will be 78.50% White 

and 4.12% Black. (Doc. 183, p. 8). Although the reconfiguration appears to do 

little to advance the goals of this action, the reconfiguration does no harm. 

Therefore, the Court approves the Board’s request to change the 

grade configuration for New Hope Elementary School and New Hope High 

School.

For the reasons discussed above, the Court grants the Madison 

County Board’s Motion for Approval of Grade Configuration – New Hope 

Schools. (Doc. 183). The Board may implement the proposals discussed in that 

motion for the 2020–21 school year. 

DONE and ORDERED this May 12, 2020.

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________________________________

MADELINE HUGHES HAIKALA 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

Case 5:63-cv-00613-MHH Document 184 Filed 05/13/20 Page 4 of 4