Posted on April 21, 2015

Indiana School District Bused Only Black Third-Graders to Tour Local Colleges

Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Campus Reform, April 21, 2015

An Indiana public school district segregated elementary field trips last week when administrators included only African-Americans on the college introduction tour.

According to ABC 57, South Bend Community Schools Corporation has planned a series of field trips to three local colleges for black third-graders in seven school districts. The excursions began last week with a trip to Ivy Tech Community College.

Dr. G. David Moss, the director for the African-American student-parent services with the South Bend Community Schools Corporation, told ABC 57 that he wanted the third-grade students to begin to think of themselves attending college.

“I was hired to look at the issues facing African-American kids in the South Bend Community Schools Corporation and my job specifically says that I need to develop programs and develop strategies to help these kids and their families become more successful academically,” Moss said.

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In 2012, 34.5 percent of students in the South Bend Community Schools Corporation were African-American. White students made up 37.1 percent of the school population that same year.

The students–and their parents if they wish to attend–will meet with African-American college students who, according to Moss, will “[model] the idea that as a black person, college is a great place.”

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UPDATE: According to the South Bend Tribune, the field trips have been postponed for the time being. A district spokesperson told the newspaper that the field trips had not been vetted by the superintendent, as is normally policy. {snip}