The neighborhood schoolers are a diverse, passionate force. They newcomers, both Democrats and Republicans, rarely confronted with busing for integration in the suburbs of the North. Drivers honk as they pass by. Most of Mecklenburg County's neighborhoods are either largely white or minority. Even with integration, about 30 percent of Charlotte schools today could be considered racially imbalanced.
Some parents say resegregation is a trade worth making to return to neighborhood schools.
A majority of Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members disagree. Educators and long-time Charlotteans are fighting to protect the community's commitment to integration. Tradition is at stake. Here in the 1970s, Charlotte banded together after initial unrest to become the first city in the country to successfully integrate through busing. In 1992, though a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court had given new latitude to end busing plans, the school board unanimously reaffirmed its commitment to integration.