Settlement Agreement Reached in Cowan Case
FROM THE CLEVELAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
The District is pleased to announce it has reached a settlement agreement in principle with the private Plaintiffs and the Department of Justice in the Cowan v. Cleveland School District case.
The parties have agreed to one high school for the 9th-12th grades to be called Cleveland Central High School. The new high school will be housed at the old Cleveland High and Margaret Green campuses. The District has also agreed on one middle school for 7th and 8th grade students at the old East Side High campus. This new junior high will be called Cleveland Central Middle School.
The District’s elementary schools – including Pearman, Parks, and Cypress Parks – will go back to having 6th grades at each campus. This means all students will go to their neighborhood school for 6th grade unless they are enrolled at Bell or Hayes Cooper which will retain their 6th grades as well.
The new high school and middle school will start in August 2017 under the direction of Dr. Randy Grierson and Mr. L’Kenna Whitehead. Sports teams will bear the new wolf mascot and wear purple and black. The District will play at the 5-A level in the Mississippi High School Activities Association.
As a part of the settlement, the District will dismiss its appeal of the case along with alternate plans that have recently been submitted to the district court.
The District made the decision to settle the case after hearing from its educational leadership team. After careful consideration, the Board unanimously voted to end the appeal as it felt moving forward with a solid plan would serve the District, its students, faculty, parents and the community best in the long run. The District is looking forward to making 2017-2018 a successful year as we all move forward together. As the District moves forward, it will continue to utilize the ideas generated by a multi-racial advisory panel made up of parents and community members.
