Nettleton School District (Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
The Nettleton School District is a public school district
based in Nettleton
, Mississippi
(USA
).
The district serves northwestern Monroe
and southeastern Lee
counties.
posted a memo which Nettleton Middle School had distributed to all students in grades 6-8. The memo described the rules for the student government election, including specifications that only students of particular races be elected to particular posts. Of the twelve posts, 8 were reserved for white students. The highest posts, the president for each grade level, were all reserved for whites.
Some parents complained about this policy. At around the same time, school superintendent Russell Taylor issued a statement saying that the policy was being reviewed. As a firestorm of news coverage developed in the next day, the school board voted in an emergency meeting on August 27, 2010 to reverse the policy. The district's press release stated that the policy had existed for over 30 years, and was intended to "ensure minority representation and involvement in the student body."
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
based in Nettleton
Nettleton, Mississippi
Nettleton is a town in Lee and Monroe Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 1,932 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nettleton is located at . The town sits on the boundary line between Lee County on the north and Monroe County on the south, with approximately equal portions of...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
The district serves northwestern Monroe
Monroe County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,014 people, 14,603 households, and 10,660 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 16,236 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
and southeastern Lee
Lee County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site* Natchez Trace Parkway * Tupelo National Battlefield-History:On September 20, 1816, General Andrew Jackson, David Meriwether, and the Chickasaw Nation signed the Treaty of Chickasaw Council House in Lee County.Lee County was...
counties.
2006-07 school year
There were a total of 1,359 students enrolled in the Nettleton School District during the 2006-2007 school year. The gender makeup of the district was 50% female and 50% male. The racial makeup of the district was 27.74% African American, 71.52% White, 0.66% Hispanic, and 0.07% Asian. 52.0% of the district's students were eligible to receive free lunch.Previous school years
| School Year | Enrollment | Gender Makeup | Racial Makeup | |||||
| Female | Male | Asian | African American |
Hispanic | Native American |
White | ||
| 2005-06 | 1,394 | 50% | 50% | 0.14% | 28.91% | 0.65% | – | 70.30% |
| 2004-05 | 1,388 | 49% | 51% | – | 29.03% | 0.43% | – | 70.53% |
| 2003-04 | 1,392 | 49% | 51% | 0.14% | 29.09% | 0.29% | – | 70.47% |
| 2002-03 | 1,381 | 49% | 51% | 0.07% | 30.05% | 0.22% | – | 69.66% |
Accountability statistics
| 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03 | |
| District Accreditation Status | Accredited | Accredited | Accredited | Accredited | Accredited |
| School Performance Classifications | |||||
| Level 5 (Superior Performing) Schools | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Level 4 (Exemplary) Schools | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Level 3 (Successful) Schools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Level 2 (Under Performing) Schools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Level 1 (Low Performing) Schools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Not Assigned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Racially segregated election policy
On August 26, 2010, The Smoking GunThe Smoking Gun
The Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. The intent is to bring to the public light information that is damning, shocking, outrageous, or amazing, yet also somewhat obscure or unreported by more mainstream media sources...
posted a memo which Nettleton Middle School had distributed to all students in grades 6-8. The memo described the rules for the student government election, including specifications that only students of particular races be elected to particular posts. Of the twelve posts, 8 were reserved for white students. The highest posts, the president for each grade level, were all reserved for whites.
Some parents complained about this policy. At around the same time, school superintendent Russell Taylor issued a statement saying that the policy was being reviewed. As a firestorm of news coverage developed in the next day, the school board voted in an emergency meeting on August 27, 2010 to reverse the policy. The district's press release stated that the policy had existed for over 30 years, and was intended to "ensure minority representation and involvement in the student body."