Monday numbers: A tale of three Halifax Counties
This morning, the state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the pivotal case of Silver, et al. v. Halifax County Board of Commissioners.
At issue is plaintiffs’ claim that the maintenance of three, racially segregated school districts in relatively small Halifax County has propped up a system of inequality that favors one predominantly white school district over two predominantly Black school districts.
The school systems have seen significantly different funding levels, in part owing to varying taxing methods in the county’s school systems. As a result, the majority white district enjoys newer facilities. And the county, which has a high poverty rate, has seen significantly different results, with students in the predominantly white district tending to fare better.
Judges will have to determine who’s to blame for the inequalities: the state of North Carolina or Halifax County.
3 – Number of school systems in Halifax County (Halifax County Schools, Roanoke Rapids City Schools, Weldon City Schools)
6,314 – Total enrolled in all three school systems
2,566 – Number of students in Halifax County Schools
2,884 – Number of students in Roanoke Rapids City Schools
864 – Number of students in Weldon City Schools
85 – Percentage of students in Halifax County Schools that are African-American
94 – Percentage of students in Weldon City School that are African American
65 – Percentage of students in Roanoke Rapids City Schools that are white
$4.5 million – Amount in local sales and use tax revenues received by Roanoke Rapids City Schools from 2006 through 2014
$2.5 million – Amount in local sales and use tax revenues received by Weldon City Schools from 2006 through 2014
$0 – Amount in local sales and use tax revenues received by Halifax County Schools from 2006 through 2014
$15 million – Amount of local supplemental tax revenues received by Roanoke Rapids City Schools from 2006 through 2014
$11 million – Amount of local supplemental tax revenues received by Weldon City Schools from 2006 through 2014
$0 – Amount of local supplemental tax revenues received by Halifax County Schools from 2006 through 2014 (Note: Halifax County did not approve a supplemental tax for this system until 2016).
75 – Percent of Weldon City schools with a performance grade of “D” (25% scored a “B”)
50 – Percent of Halifax County Schools with a performance grade of “D”
20 – Percent of Halifax County Schools with a performance grade of “F”
30 – Percent of Halifax County Schools with a performance grade of “C”
75 – Percent of Roanoke Rapids City Schools with a performance grade of “C”
25 – Percent of Roanoke Rapids City Schools with a performance grade of “D”
Sources: N.C. Department of Public Instruction; Silver, et al v. Halifax County Board of Commissioners.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published by NC Policy Watch. It has been posted with the author’s permission.