Leake County schools in Mississippi released from decades-long desegregation order

After more than half a century, Leake County schools have been released from a federal order that monitored and prevented racial discrimination within the district.

That means a judge will no longer oversee Leake County School District to ensure Black students get equal access to a quality education.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Jordan approved the order’s dissolution on Sept. 3. Officials announced the decision Monday night on Facebook.

“This historic milestone reflects our continued commitment to providing every student with an equitable, high-quality education,” the post reads.

Leake County schools Superintendent Will Russell said Tuesday that it’s been an arduous process, and the decision reflects the work of the community and past district leaders.

“I just want to congratulate everyone who’s been part of this effort,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Justice has been monitoring Leake County schools for decades, after parents of Black students brought a discrimination lawsuit against the school board in 1963. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi imposed a formal desegregation order in 1969, ordering Leake County schools to halt discriminatory practices and practice mandatory reporting to ensure no school within the district was racially identifiable.

Justice Department officials closed two Leake County schools in 2011 and reassigned students and faculty to promote equity after they found four schools were still racially divided.

Monte Ladner, former Leake County superintendent, said Tuesday the district had little choice but to comply at the time.

“We weren’t given much of a choice on how we got back in compliance,” he said. “Even if we suggested something different, their reaction was ‘no.’”

That lack of community input about the school closures was devastating, Russell said.

“It was just one of those hard things to accept even though it was the right thing to do,” he said.

The district has made strides since then. Last year, each school reached the standard the court established to determine racial balance.

The school district consolidated its high schools this school year due to declining student enrollment. Russell prefers to call that “realignment” because of the community’s negative memories of the 2011 school closures.

Board attorney John Hooks argued in a July 28 court filing the merger will ensure equity. Ladner agreed Tuesday and said the merger will make it easier for the district to provide equal opportunities to students.

Leake County schools have lost about a fifth of their students over the past decade. The district enrolled 2,369 students last year, about a 19% decrease from 2015-16.

“It’s great to get out from under this order,” Ladner said. “It gives the district some flexibility now in moving forward. This reflects the work of this administration and others before that tried to better the district. It’s very positive and will benefit students and parents alike.”

Leake County is the third Mississippi school district to be released from such an order in two years. Rankin County School District was released from its desegregation order in July, and Copiah County School District in August 2025.

Under President Donald Trump, the Justice Department has signaled increasing willingness to release school districts from desegregation orders.

Twenty-seven Mississippi school districts remain under desegregation orders.

Russell is confident Leake County schools will maintain its progress without federal oversight.

“We’re in a good place to keep it going and make sure we’re equitable across the board with student achievement,” he said. “I don’t see us slipping back into this concern again.”

This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.