(August 20, 2008)—A hearing is scheduled Thursday in state district court in Waco on suit filed on behalf of a group of Waco residents who are fighting to keep the low-performing G. L. Wiley Middle School open.

The Waco School Board voted 4 to 3 on Aug. 7 to close the school immediately and to transfer students to other schools after G. L. Wiley was rated academically unacceptable for a fifth straight year.

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott had already given the school a one-year waiver to improve, but board members who supported closure cited the school’s declining enrollment and poor test performance.

Gary Bledsoe, a civil rights attorney working with the group said the lawsuit was filed Wednesday afternoon in 170th District Court.

Bledsoe said the lawsuit is, "seeking to maintain the status quo so the good people who live in the Wiley neighborhood can go to school."

It seeks to block the district from closing the school.

The suit alleges the Waco ISD violated a number of laws including the Texas Open Meetings Act in deciding the fate of the school.

Bledsoe says the suit also alleges discrimination, and arbitrary and due process violations.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

The suit was filed on the same day the school district was holding open house at all middle schools to give parents generally and the parents of G. L. Wiley students in particular a chance to meet teachers and learn about the schools before classes begin.

The school board decided students from Wiley should be transferred proportionately to Carver Academy, Brazos Middle School and Cesar Chavez PDS Middle School, but parents may seek transfers.

Monday is the first day of the new school year in the Waco ISD.

(Eli Ross contributed to this story)

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Latest Comments

Posted by: Sam Bam Location: TX on Aug 28, 2008 at 06:41 PM

To Anonymous; Will not work! The only way is to arrest the parents, give them a white jump suit with a job they can't refuse and give the children to the state! Self condemning people must be handled to the extreme!
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Posted by: Reality Check Location: Whack em Waco on Aug 22, 2008 at 12:36 PM

Way to Go Lester!!! Just proves to show how much of a racist you are!! Ignorance breeds ignorance! The ignorant parents obviously want their ignorant children to remain ignorant. What a great idea! Then they can blame the system and not take responsibility for their children when they turn out dumb. If this school remains open this year, then all extracurricular activities should be eliminated. Then these "under performing" children can have a chance to learn. A good parent wants their children to get the best education that they can get, not to chearlead!
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Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 22, 2008 at 09:18 AM

I said all of that to say instead of bashing the parents who may not have known better, & who taught the kids, so now the kids don't know better either, how about pay more attention to the REAL ISSUES IN THEIR LIVES instead of the superficial behaviors & lets attack those problems & then change can begin. They need real counseling, they need more exposure to what life has to offer & more resources to make things happen. When a child wants to study but there's loud cursing going on at home, it's kind of difficult! When they want to study but they're hungry & all they had was a honeybun, it's pretty difficult. Many kids look forward to going to school for steady meals! Pay more attention to what's real! And I agree that waiting until it crumbled was TOO LATE! "WE" need to be more proactive and use the WHOLE VILLAGE TO RAISE OUR KIDS! If I could be that counselor in Wiley, I'd take that job!! What we think is minor in those kids lives is A MAJOR DAILY ISSUE! ACKNOWLEDGE THAT & LET'S FIT IT
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