Texas
Texas Quick Stats
Number of Districts
1,208
Number of Schools
8,830
Students Enrolled
5,329,177
Percent students 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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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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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: A 1970 federal desegregation order approved Garland ISD’s modified freedom-of-choice plan, required the closure of the formerly segregated Carver Elementary School, and permitted affected families to select another district elementary school.
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District Boundaries and Student Transfers: In United States v. Texas, federal officials documented Texas practices involving district boundaries, annexations, and student transfers that maintained racially identifiable school systems. The resulting statewide order directed the Texas Education Agency to oversee desegregation, including student assignment, transfers, transportation, and district-boundary issues.
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Ethnic Balance and Enrollment Monitoring: Under its court-supervised Freedom of Choice Plan, Garland ISD submitted semiannual reports containing campus-level racial and ethnic enrollment data, magnet-program enrollment, and school-choice results for federal court review.
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Transportation
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Court-Ordered Transportation: In Waco, Texas, court-ordered busing was used as a school desegregation strategy. A longitudinal study evaluated participating students’ experiences, attitudes toward busing, academic outcomes, and the interracial climate of receiving schools. Resource
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Magnet Programs: Houston used specialized magnet programs as a voluntary desegregation strategy, offering distinctive educational opportunities intended to attract students from different geographic and ethnic groups. The program supported court-defined goals for reducing racial isolation and expanding access to integrated learning opportunities.
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Facilities / Extracurriculars
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Equal Access to Extracurricular Activities: Under the statewide desegregation order in United States v. Texas, the Texas Education Agency was directed to prohibit racial discrimination in extracurricular activities and other areas of district operations.
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Faculty & Staff
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Faculty and Staff Assignment: In Port Arthur ISD, a federal consent order required classroom teachers to be assigned so that each school’s percentages of Black and White teachers remained within 15 percentage points of the districtwide percentages for the grade levels served. Federal monitoring identified faculty assignment as an area requiring continued compliance.
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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.
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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.
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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 Assignment
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.