I'm Stan Boney.
I'm Mandy Noell.Last week the
Liberty School Board voted to
stop the open
enrollment of white students to
Girard.
The goal is to maintain a racial
balance -- a goal which has
created some
discussion.That discussion
continued this evening with the
Trumbull County
NAACP.
First News repoter Molly Reed
joins us live in the studio
with our top story at 11.
Superintendent Joe Nohra, Board
President Calvin Jones, members
of
the NAACP and Urban league all
metto discuss this resolution.
Two parent leaders were there as
well. The meeting was closed
but they did
come out afterwards to tell us
what was discussed
MOLLY REED : Tonight Liberty
school leaders tried to clarify
to the NAACP WHY they passed
last week's resolution.
That resolution states that
Liberty WILL NOT grant consent
to WHITE students who
request to enroll in Girard
schools.
SUPERINTENDENT NOHRA: THE
DISTRICT RIGHT NOW IS FIFTY
PERCENT MINORITY AND FIFTY
PERCENT NON MINORITY. SO
WE'RE VERY BALANCED RIGHT NOW
AND WE HOPE TO MAINTAIN THAT
BALANCE. MOLLY REED :
Superintendent Nohra says he
gave the NAACP and Urban League
statistics of who's in the
school district and the
financial position it's in.
ANNETTE MCCOY: IT'S LEAVING THEM
IN A FINANCIAL SITUATION WHERE
THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE PROGRAMS THAT
THEY MAY NOT HAVE PROVIDED IN
THE PAST.
THOMAS CONELY: THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
GOING TO DO. GATHER FACTS
AND THEN COME UP WITH A DECISION
AFTER WE LOOK AT THOSE FACTS TO
ADDRESS IT THE WAY WE FEEL FIT.
MOLLY REED :
That means no DECISION or
CHANGES were made tonight.
But Superintendent Nohra says
they are looking at these
organizations to find OTHER
possible solutions.
NOHRA: ONE OF THE THINGS WE
LEARNED FROM THIS IS TO
NETWORK WITH THEM MORE. THEY CAN
PROVIDE A TREMENDOUS
RESOURCE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND WE'RE COMMITTED
TO THAT. MOLLY REED : In an open
letter Nohra released earlier
today to the community to
clarify
his intentions he said:
"Girard City Schools is
accepting a large
number of Liberty students
through open enrollment.
If this continues at its current
rate, our data shows the Liberty
Local School District
could become a segregated school
system."
JOE NOHRA: WE'RE NOT MOVING
OFF OF THAT POSITION IT IS
VERY ALARMING THE STATS ARE VERY
ALARMING AND WE JUST WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY
UNDERSTANDS
MOVING FORWARD WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO ACCOMPLISH.
Both Conely and McCoy said if
there is an issue of racism
here... that is part of
their investigation they will
look at. Girard Superintendent
David Cappuzzello
was NOT there tonight... But
last week he told us this was
"mind-
boggling" and that students want
to enroll in Girard Schools
because of the
classes and extracurriculars it
has to offer.
In the studio, MR, WKBN
