Texas
Texas Quick Stats
Number of Districts
1,208
Number of Schools
8.830
Students Enrolled
5,329,177
Percent studetns of color
74.3%
Percent teachers of color
38.9%
Student to teacher ratio
14.8:1
Texas Overview
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United States v. Texas, Civil Order 5281 (E.D. Tex. 1970)
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Landmark statewide desegregation order issued by Judge William Wayne Justice.
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Initially applied to over 1,000 school districts across Texas.
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Required the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to oversee compliance and enforce desegregation.
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Mandated annual reviews of districts with 66%+ minority enrollment.
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Fifth Circuit (1971): affirmed most provisions but excluded districts already under other federal orders.
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Judge Justice directly supervised compliance until his death in 2009.
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Resource: Resource
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Tasby v. Dallas Independent School District (N.D. Tex. 1970–2003)
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One of the nation’s longest-running school desegregation cases (33 years).
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1971: Court-approved “Confluence of Cultures” integration plan.
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Court-ordered busing led to major white flight in Dallas schools.
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Judge Barefoot Sanders declared DISD desegregated in 2003.
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District spent millions in legal costs and compliance efforts over decades.
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Resource: Resource
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Historical Federal Oversight
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HEW (Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) investigations targeted East Texas districts in the 1960s for noncompliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
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Daingerfield ISD was cited for gerrymandering school zones to maintain racial segregation.
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Student Assignment
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School Choice Plans: Garland ISD’s “freedom of choice” system failed to dismantle segregation, triggering federal intervention. Resource
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Attendance Boundaries: Federal courts barred gerrymandered lines in Garland and other districts. Resource
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Ethnic Balance: Districts imposed racial caps and court-ordered busing when minority enrollments exceeded thresholds. Resource
Transportation
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Transportation Costs: Garland ISD spent nearly $5.96 million annually on federally mandated busing. Resource
Facilities / Extracurriculars
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Magnet Programs: Created to attract diversity into older, often under-enrolled urban schools, tying facilities and extracurricular opportunities to integration goals. Resource
Faculty & Staff / Administration
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State‑level enforcement/oversight (Tennessee context): In higher ed, the Geier consent decree bound the State (UT system, Board of Regents, THEC) and installed court monitoring; in K–12, DOJ‑negotiated decrees (e.g., Fayette County, 2023) set staff and student‑assignment obligations and recognized partial unitary status. Resource
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Houston ISD State Takeover Extended
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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has extended its takeover of Houston ISD through June 1, 2027 (Note: The district was not taken over due to an active desegregation order).
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HISD must meet three exit criteria to regain local control:
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Eliminate multi-year failing campuses
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Comply with all special education laws
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Demonstrate functional board governance
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This reflects ongoing oversight, signaling that HISD has not yet regained unitary status.
Resource
Beaumont ISD: Charter Transition Reversal-
Beaumont ISD planned to have three low-performing campuses managed by a charter operator (TFS), under Senate Bill 1882.
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TFS unexpectedly withdrew, prompting BISD to resume control of Jones-Clark Elementary, Fehl-Price Elementary, and Smith Middle School, preserving local governance.
Resource
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Texas Spotlight Cases
Texas mounted fierce resistance to desegregation. In 1970, after years of defiance, the Justice Department sued the state itself in United States v. Texas. Judge William Wayne Justice responded with Civil Order 5281, one of the broadest desegregation rulings in U.S. history, placing more than 1,000 districts under court supervision and charging the Texas Education Agency with enforcement.
Garland ISD’s choice plan actually predates that order. Launched in 1967 with the integration of 689 Black students, the plan was amended by the NAACP in 1987 to require ethnic balance across schools. Today, Garland remains the only Texas district still operating under a federal desegregation order, though shifting demographics from majority white to majority Hispanic have sparked new debates around busing and ethnic caps.
Desegregation Indicators Legend:
Faculty and Staff
Student Asignment
Transportation
Extracurriculars
Facilities
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Texas Case File Review:
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Active Under Order: 1 district (Garland ISD)
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Recently Released: Longview (2018), San Angelo, Port Arthur, Carthage, Dallas (2003)
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Type of Order: Individual court order with NAACP modification
Alabama
Consent Decrees
The Court Cases resource page for Alabama offers an in-depth exploration of legal proceedings and rulings relevant to the Green Factors in the state's educational context. It provides analyses of landmark court cases and their implications for policies and practices related to faculty diversity, equitable facilities, inclusive transportation systems, fair staff representation, diverse extracurricular opportunities, and the promotion of race and gender equity in Alabama's education system. This page serves as a valuable reference for educators, policymakers, and advocates seeking to understand the legal landscape and its impact on efforts to advance educational equity in Alabama.
Alabama School Scorecard:
Integration Efforts (Green Factors) |
Trends in segregation resource, visit here.
Transportation
Extracurricular Activites
Student Assignment
Faculty and Staff
Score: Low
Score: Low
Score: Moderate
While some progress has been made in diversifying faculty, significant disparities remain. Minority students are less likely to be taught by teachers who reflect their racial and ethnic backgrounds, impacting their educational experience.
Schools remain racially and economically divided, reflecting inadequate student assignment policies to promote integration. Efforts to assign students to schools in a manner that promotes diversity have not been widely implemented or enforced.
There are notable disparities in the quality of facilities between schools in wealthier, predominantly white areas and those in poorer, predominantly minority areas. This impacts the overall learning environment and resources available to students.
Transportation policies have not effectively addressed segregation, with many students still attending schools based on racially homogeneous neighborhoods. Improved transportation strategies are needed to support more integrated school attendance patterns.
Participation in extracurricular activities is often segregated, mirroring the overall school demographics. Efforts to promote inclusive extracurricular programs have been limited.
Score: Moderate
Facilities
Score: Moderate
School District:
Garland School District
Status:
Under Order - Active
Primary Legal Framework:
United States v. Garland ISD (1970)
Desegregation Indicators:
Faculty and Staff, Student Assignment, Facilities, Extracurriculars, Transportation
Recent Activity:
2024: Continues under order with no plans to seek release. 2013: Demographics shift to majority Hispanic (50%+)
Overview:
Resources:
Additional Resources
Success Stories
Memphis City Schools (Unitary Status, 1997)
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Formerly under federal desegregation order.
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Achieved comprehensive integration across student assignment, faculty, facilities, transportation, and extracurricular activities.
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Demonstrated that large urban districts can dismantle segregative practices with sustained reforms. Resource Link
Longview ISD (2018) – Released After 48 Years
After nearly five decades under federal supervision, Longview ISD was declared unitary in 2018. The district worked with DOJ to expand magnet programs, improve equity in student assignments, and diversify faculty. The release marked a significant milestone showing sustained compliance across Green Factors/Desegregation Indicators.
Success Stories
Memphis City Schools (Unitary Status, 1997)
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Formerly under federal desegregation order.
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Achieved comprehensive integration across student assignment, faculty, facilities, transportation, and extracurricular activities.
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Demonstrated that large urban districts can dismantle segregative practices with sustained reforms. Resource Link
Tyler ISD (2016) – Achieved Unitary Status
Tyler ISD (East Texas) was released from federal court supervision after demonstrating compliance with all Green Factors/Desegregation Indicators. DOJ noted that the district had eliminated vestiges of segregation, balancing student assignments, facilities, and faculty diversity.