Rockford, Illinois

:This article is about Rockford, Illinois. For other Rockfords, see Rockford (disambiguation).

Rockford School System

Post-secondary

Rockford, Illinois is the site of Northern Illinois University Rockford, Rockford Business College, Rockford College, Rock Valley College, and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford.

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Rockford College is best known for graduating Jane Addams, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for her efforts to promote international peace and justice. Laura Jane Addams (1860 - 1935) entered what was then Rockford Female Seminary in 1877 and became the first graduate to receive a B.A.degree from the newly accredited baccalaureate institution in 1882 (the school was renamed Rockford College in 1892).

Related Topics:
Jane Addams - Nobel Peace Prize

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• NIU Rockford
• Rockford Business College
• Rockford College
• Rock Valley College
• U-Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

Public School District 205

The Rockford Public School District covers about 170 square miles and serves over 27,000 students. It is the third largest school district in the state, with 40 elementary schools, five middle schools, and four high schools. It is also a center of controversy due to its involvement in continued court cases with groups against alleged racial discrimination and illegal taxing.

Related Topics:
School district - Elementary schools - Middle schools - High schools - Racial discrimination

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In May of 1989, a group of citizens calling themselves People Who Care filed a class action suit against District 205 challenging a reorganization plan. The original intent was to keep West High, a predominately black high school, from being closed. However, this escalated into a 12 year desegregation case. In July of that year, the Board entered into a consent decree. West high stayed closed and school districts where re-organized so that they had a more even ratio of white to black students (Findlaw, Chronicle Magazine).

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In 1993, U.S. Magistrate Judge P. Michael Mahoney found the district guilty of systematic discrimination against African-American and Hispanic students (Adversity.net). In March 1994, the school district was ordered to "eliminate all vestiges of discriminating against black and Hispanic students." Not long after, another judge ordered District 205 to implement "system-wide remedies." These remedies include extensive busing of children from one side of town to the other, because most of the schools on the west side of the Rock River are predominantly African-American and Hispanic, while those on the East side are predominantly Caucasian. The remedies also include building new schools and updating existing ones on the west side of Rockford (ISU School Law Quarterly).

Related Topics:
1993 - 1994 - Busing - Caucasian

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For over a decade, the federal court?s orders regulated virtually every aspect of school administration in Rockford, requiring the district to expend over $210 million through the 1998-99 school year. Areas of federal judicial control include student assignment, within-school assignment, extra-curricular activities, discipline, curriculum and instruction, transportation, disposition and acquisition of facilities, district boundaries, facilities and equipment. The people of Rockford pay the highest property tax of any community in the United States (Adversity.net).

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On April 18, 2001 Rockford Public Schools were granted their freedom from twelve years of school "desegregation" litigation and a five year old court order called "ambitious schemes of social engineering," by Judge Richard Posner of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision ordered that the district be granted the relief they sought. Rockford students are now free to attend neighborhood schools. "The racial balance guidelines imposed by the court are no longer valid," proclaimed school district attorney Tom Lester. Middle and high schools are open enrollment with a priority given to students living within one and one/half miles of the school. Under performing schools will be targeted with special initiatives to bring up the performance. Children currently enrolled in a school can stay there even if it is not their attendance area school, and students with brothers and sisters already enrolled in a certain school have a better chance to attend the same school. Each magnet school is also given an attendance area (Nans.org).

Related Topics:
2001 - Magnet school

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Sources

• ISU School Law Quarterly
• Findlaw
• Chronicles Magazine
• Adversity.net
• National Association for Neighborhood Schools