The issue of racial segregation of schools is once again on the steps of the Supreme Court. This time its not about equal rights for black and white students, but the idea of moving students around so that schools are more racially equal.
"I think it's kind of a pain to go out of your way just to go to a certain school," said Ellen Coleman, junior art history major. "Kids should go where they want to go."
The two school districts that are involved in the case are located in Seattle and Louisville, Ky. In the Seattle case, the school district is accused of choosing certain students over others to create a more diverse school. The Louisville case is much the same.
Oral arguments in the Seattle case were heard Monday morning.
According to the argument transcripts on the Supreme Court Web site, the Court asked why these cases are not considered along the lines of affirmative action.
"I thought that the school district was selecting some people because they wanted a certain racial mix in the schools and were taking the affirmative action of giving a preference to the students of a certain race," said Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia during oral arguments. "Why doesn't that qualify as affirmative action?"
Even though schools in Memphis are not involved in the case, there has been debate about combining the city schools with the county ones. Parts of the county school system will be annexed into the city starting next year.
"There ought to be a better way of integration then busing students out of the community they live in to another school," said Lyndell Fisher, history doctorate student. "Perhaps there is a problem where the schools are."
Fisher suggested that instead of building schools that are in the middle of higher or lower income areas, make them more towards the outskirts of the areas so that both higher and lower income students would be mixed already.
"If you already live across from a high school, then it is ridiculous to be bused to another school that is racially balanced," he said.
Then there are those who disagree with the idea of busing students.
"I think it's good that they are trying to make everything balanced racially," said Micheka Bailey, freshman nursing major. "I think it will give kids the ability to make friends outside of their own 'comfort zone.'"
While there are several reasons for parents to want to be able to choose what school their children go to, there are some who really don't see the point in worrying about it.
"Why are we worrying about this? I think there are other things that the Supreme Court should be worrying about," Coleman said. "They're going to learn the same things. So why does it matter where they go?"
