Omaha school district split ripped as segregating kids

LINCOLN, Neb. -- In a move decried by some as state-sponsoredsegregation, the Legislature voted Thursday to divide the Omahaschool system into three districts -- one mostly black, onepredominantly white and one largely Hispanic.

Supporters, including the bill's sponsor and the Legislature'slone black senator, said the plan would give minorities control overtheir own school board and ensure that their children are notshortchanged in favor of white youngsters.

Republican Gov. Dave Heineman was expected to sign the measureinto law.

Omaha Sen. Pat Bourne decried the bill, saying, "We will go downin history as one of the first states in 20 years to set racerelations back."

"History will not, and should not, judge us kindly," said Sen.Gwen Howard of Omaha.

Attorney General Jon Bruning sent a letter to one of the measure'sopponents saying that the bill could be in violation of theConstitution's equal-protection clause and that lawsuits almostcertainly will be filed.

But its backers said that at the very least, its passage willforce policymakers to negotiate seriously about the future of schoolsin the Omaha area.

MORE LOCAL CONTROL TOUTED

The breakup would not occur until July 2008, leaving time forlawmakers to come up with another idea.

"There is no intent to create segregation," said Omaha Sen. ErnieChambers, the Legislature's only black senator and a longtime criticof the school system. He argued that the district is alreadysegregated, because it no longer buses students and instead requiresthem to attend their neighborhood school.

Chambers said the schools attended largely by minorities lack theresources and quality teachers provided others in the district. Hesaid the black students he represents in north Omaha would receive abetter education if they had more control over their district.

The 45,000-student Omaha school system is 46 percent white, 31percent black, 20 percent Hispanic and 3 percent Asian or AmericanIndian.

Boundaries for the new districts would be drawn using current highschool attendance areas. That would result in four possiblescenarios; in every scenario, two districts would end up with amajority of students who are racial minorities.