A federal judge is ordering both sides in the decades-old Cleveland school desegregation case to negotiate a new proposal from the school district.
The plan splits high schools students between the traditional "white" and "black" schools, in the now majority black school district.
MPB's Mark Rigsby reports.
In her latest order, U.S. District Judge Debra Brown calls for the parties to start talking about finding common ground in the Cleveland School District's new plan to desegregate.
Cleveland resident Claude Boddie favors the judge's previous order to desegregate.
"We've been working on this for 62 years and that's all they've been doing. Proposal, proposal, proposal. Her order was to consolidate the two high schools and the two middle schools, and that's what I'm going with."
The new proposal puts 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Margaret Green Junior High, and 11th and 12th graders at Cleveland High School.
Both schools are on the traditional "white" side of town.
While 9th and 10th graders would attend East Side High, on the traditional "black" side of town.
Jamie Jacks is the attorney for the Cleveland school board.
"The district presented the plan because it heard from constituents, and talked to stakeholders about issues presented in this case, and felt like the latest plan was something that maybe everyone can find some common ground on and we can all move forward."
The original school desegregation lawsuit has been tied up in court for more than 50 years.
During that time, the case has been through several federal judges.
Attendance zones and magnet programs were created to work toward racial integration and equality in the classroom.
If a settlement is not reached, objections to the new plan must be filed by the end of January 2017.
Mark Rigsby, MPB News.
