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Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka - Supreme Court decision
Court ruled that state laws establishing separate schools for black and white students are unconstitutional. Interpretation restricts de jure segregation, or segregation that exists because of local laws which mandate intra-district segregation. The case does not impact de facto segregation, or segregation that exists because of voluntary associations such as living in a particular community or neighborhood. -
Nationwide movement to further Desegregation
After years of interpreting Brown vs. BOE, the nation experiences wide-sweeping desegregation efforts. -
Kansas City, MO School District suit
The Kansas City, MO School District (KCMSD) sues the state of Missouri, arguing that the state is liable for desegregating schools within the KCMSD boundaries. As a result of this case, the state is ordered to focus on de facto segregation. It attempts to remedy the situation by focusing on improving inner city educational facilities and introducing new programs. -
District Court ruling
In 1984, in reviewing the success of the 1977 remedies, the district court found that the district continued to suffer from the virulent effects of the segregation the State had previously imposed. Between 1985 and 1987 the district court entered a series of additional remedy orders, such as school facility repairs, creation of magnet schools, and improvement to educational programs. These efforts are intended to attract white students back to inner city schools. -
Further remedies
District court continues to order remedies, including mandatory salary assistance, arguing that segregation will end if disadvantaged schools can attract higher paid, quality teachers. -
Peak of Nationwide Integration
After years of effort, and second and third generation of students entering schools, the nation as a whole sees the peak of integration. Test results indicate significant academic strides have been achieved. -
Missouri vs. Jenkins - District Court decision
Court allows lower courts to order school authorities to increase spending on education remedies, even when voters rejected referendums to raise taxes. In its ruling, the Court found that districts remained racially isolated. It hypothesized that affluent families, often white, had effectively withheld financing from the low-performing black districts, resulting in grievously inferior schools. To curb this, the Court ruled that funds could be provided over the objection of voters. -
Missouri Law allows Students to Transfer
In 1993, Missouri law allows students in unaccredited districts to transfer to a nearby accredited district on the hometown district's dime. Before this date, a student desiring such a transfer was required to pay tuition to the new district, which was often cost-prohibitive for families. In essence, this law brought school choice to kids trapped in failing schools. -
Continued exodus of affluent families
During the 1990s and 2000s, affluent families, often white, continue to move to suburbs which offer school districts with better programs and facilities. -
Normandy School District Probation
After years of poor student performance and the continuous deterioration of school facilities, the School District of Normandy, a St. Louis area community, is placed on probation. -
Normandy loses Accreditation
Year after year, the Normandy District failed to meet the minimum of 9 out of 14 performance standards required for accreditation. In 2012, the Missouri Board of Education voted unanimously to strip the Normandy District's accreditation, effective 1/1/2013. -
Normandy students file to Transfer
Under Missouri law, after losing its accreditation, Normandy must pay tuition and transportation costs for students wishing to transfer to the Normandy-identified recipient district. By law, Normandy is required to identify only one recipient district. It chooses Francis Howell, a district approximately 30 miles from Normandy. Possibly this decision is intended to discourage students, who must board buses as early as 5 am, from transferring. Over 1,000 Normandy students file to transfer. -
Missouri State Supreme Court upholds Transfer Law
The state's Supreme Court upholds the 1993 law allowing students of unaccredited schools to transfer to a nearby district's accredited schools. -
Francis Howell Town Hall
The Francis Howell School District hosts a town hall for residents to discuss the Normandy transfers. Nearly 3,000 parents attend the meeting, which lasts nearly 3 hours. Expressing outrage, parents raise a variety of issues including test scores, costs, class size, drugs and student safety. At times, tempers erupt. -
Missouri Department of Education renames Normandy district
The Missouri Department of Education, in response to Normandy's financial crisis, appoints a new school board and takes over the Normandy school district. It renames the district the "Normandy School Collaborative" and fails to assign an accreditation status. Without this status, the district is no longer "unaccredited". As such, Normandy residents are no longer entitled to transfer payments under Missouri law. Francis Howell can now
accept or reject Normandy transfer students. -
Francis Howell decision
The Francis Howell district announces that it will no longer accept transfer students from outside its region. This decision includes Normandy students who had previously attended Francis Howell schools. As a result, all Normandy students must return to the Normandy school district. -
Normandy residents file complaint
Normandy residents argue that the State should not have reorganized the Normandy School District without providing an accreditation status, seeking an injunction on the Francis Howell district's decision. -
County Judge rules
A St. Louis County Circuit Court judge rules that area school districts cannot reject transfer students from the Normandy Schools Collaborative, and that the Missouri Board of Education must assign the district an “unaccredited” rating. The judge further issues a permanent injunction requiring Normandy to pay tuition of students who transfer. Lastly, he removes the ability of a district, such as Francis Howell, to require transferring students to have a court order to enroll. -
Missouri Court of Appeals affirmation
The Missouri Court of Appeals affirms the St. Louis County Circuit Court ruling, laying to rest the legal fight over Missouri's school transfer law. In a unanimous ruling, the Eastern District’s panel upheld the rights of Normandy children to attend schools in higher-performing districts.