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-Information courtesy Vance County Schools

At the Vance County Board of Education meeting held on March 9, Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson addressed the on-going Leandro Case.

What is Leandro? In 1994, families from five low-wealth counties (Hoke, Halifax, Robeson, Vance, and Cumberland) claimed that North Carolina was not providing students with the same educational opportunities as those in higher-income districts, at which time the court case began and is still ongoing.

Both sides agreed in 2017 to have an independent consultant come in to make recommendations, unveiling the WestEd report.

Dr. Jackson shared the WestEd Leandro Report that gave eight recommendations for a sound, basic education for children. 1) Revise the state funding model to provide adequate, efficient, and equitable resources, 2) Provide a qualified, well-prepared, and diverse teaching staff in every school 3) Provide a qualified and well-prepared principal in every school, 4) Provide all at-risk students with the opportunity to attend high-quality early childhood programs 5) Direct resources, opportunities, and initiatives to economically disadvantaged students 6) Revise the student assessment system and school accountability system 7) Build an effective regional and statewide system of support for the improvement of low-performing and high-poverty schools 8) Convene an expert panel to assist the Court in monitoring state policies, plans programs, and progress.

The Vance County Board of Education indicated unanimously they support this cause and the district will continue to follow the decades-long case as it continues in court.

For more information on the case, please visit the Public School Forum of North Carolina website at www.ncforum.org/leandro/.