By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—A rezoning plan for the Hoover City School System could be unveiled and approved by March 1, Hoover City Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathy Murphy said during a Jan. 12 Board of Education meeting.

Rezoning is a component of the Hoover City School System’s effort to achieve unitary status from the United States Department of Justice.

The Hoover School System inherited a desegregation court order from the Jefferson County School System when it broke away in the late-1980s. In order to achieve unitary status, Hoover City Schools must satisfy the Department of Justice’s “Green factors,” which are equality across transportation, facilities, clubs and organizations, student assignments, staff assignments and faculty assignments.

The school system and the Department of Justice have been working closely to create a rezoning plan satisfying the Green factors, Murphy said.

“Lots of work is happening behind the scenes as we try to craft a plan,” Murphy said.

The two parties met to discuss a rezoning plan in December, prior to the school system’s winter vacation. Another meeting is planned for Jan. 28.

“Hopefully when we finish our January 28 all-day meeting, we will have a plan we can take to the public,” Murphy said.

After the proposed rezoning plan is revealed to the public, Murphy said she intends to host community meetings to discuss the plan.

March 1 is currently the target approval date for the rezoning plan, and Murphy said the school system and Department of Justice would like to present the plan to United States District Judge Madeline Haikala before April.

“All three parties desire to get to (Haikala) before April,” Murphy said. “(We want) to get to her sooner rather than later in all fairness to our children.”