High Court Eases Federal Guidelines For Desegregation

By Mark Walsh

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Supreme Court last week made it easier for school districts to be relieved from some federal court supervision of their desegregation programs, even when they have not implemented all aspects of their programs or when racial imbalances persist because of population shifts beyond their control.

Ruling in a closely watched case from DeKalb County, Ga., the High Court held that federal judges may relinquish control of desegregation plans in stages, such as by ending supervision of student assignments while maintaining oversight of faculty allocation or other factors.

In addition, a brittle coalition of five justices held that school systems once segregated by law need not remedy racial imbalances caused by demographic shifts and other factors...