Motion for Modification of Desegregation Plan
Public Court Documents
July 13, 1971
5 pages
Cite this item
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Case Files, Alexander v. Holmes Hardbacks. Motion for Modification of Desegregation Plan, 1971. 02aff7be-d167-f011-bec2-7c1e52467ee8. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/53c99bab-d4e8-4b36-9ba5-ee6c5db1421d/motion-for-modification-of-desegregation-plan. Accessed November 19, 2025.
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POWELL, FANCHER & FANCHER
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
P. O. BOX 245
CANTON, MISSISSIPPI 39046
ROBERT HH. POWELL, JR. TELEPHONE 859-185 0 .
o
JOE R. FANCHER, JR. July 13, 1971 FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
H. NOLEN FANCHER
Mr. Robert C. Thomas, Clerk
United States District Court
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
Re: Joan Anderson, et al
United States of America
Ve
Canton Municipal Separate School District
Civil Action No. 3700 (J)
Dear Mr. Thomas:
Enclosed for filing, please find the original and one copy of Motion
for Modification in the above cause.
Thanking you for your kind attention to this matter, | am
Sincerely yours,
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Joe R. Fancher, Jr.
Attorney for Defendant
Canton Municipal Separate School District
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cc: Honorable Dan M. Russell, Jr.
United States District Judge
P. O. Drawer 1930
Gulfport, Mississippi 39501
Counsel of Record
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI
JACKSON DIVISION
JOAN ANDERSON, et al.,
Plaintiff,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff = Interventor, CIVIL ACTION NO. 3700
V.
CANTON MUNICIPAL SEPARATE
SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al.,
Defendants.
MOTION FOR MODIFICATION
OF DESEGREGATION PLAN
COME NOW Defendants, Canton Municipal Separate School District, et al,
in the above styled and numbered cause, and respectfully move the Court to modify
the Order of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit entered in
Cause Numbers 28030 and 28042 dated November 7, 1969, as follows:
}.
As to the Canton Municipal Separate School District System, the Office of
Education Plan (App. 8) shall be modified by amending Section 11 thereof by sub-
stituting therein the following student assignment plan:
STUDENT ASSIGNMENT
Commencing with the school year 1971-72, beginning in September 1971, all
students in the District, regardless of race, shall be assigned to attendance centers
as follows:
(1) McNeal Elementary School shall serve all pupils in grade 1.
(2) Canton Elementary School shall serve all pupils in grades 2 and 3.
(3) Nichols Elementary School shall serve all pupils in grades 4 - 6.
(4) Canton Public High School (formerly Rogers High School) shall serve all pupils
in grades 7 = 12.
(5) Canton Junior High School (formerly Canton High School) shall be closed; provided,
however, that the band hall may be used for materials center and administrative offices;
and, provided further that this facility may not be sold or otherwise disposed of without the
prior approval of the Court.
H,
In all other respects the Order of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
of November 7, 1969, will remain in full force and effect.
IN SUPPORT OF THIS MOTION Defendants would respectfully show until the Court the
following:
1. During the 1970-71 School Year under the existing plan, student assignment was as
follows:
School Grades Permanent Students
Capacity White Negro Total Number of
Classrooms
McNeal 1-3 588 14 536 550 21
Canton Elementary 1-3 840 20 483 503 30
Nichols 4-6 1344 30 1131 1161 48
Canton Junior High 7 750 9 257 266 25
Canton Public High 8-12 1680 18 1208 1226 56 plus Gym
| & Library
Total 5202 21 3615 3706 180
2. Upon implementation of the plan outlined in Paragraph 1 hereof, student assignment for
the School Year 1971-72 will be as follows:
School Grade Permanent Students
Capacity White ~~ Negro Total Number of
Classrooms
McNeal 1 588 22 366 388 rr
Canton Elementary 2-3 840 30 693 723 30
Nichols 4-6 1344 32 1097 1129 48
Canton Public High 7-12 1680 28 1662 1690 56 plus Gym
& Library
Total 4452 112 3818 3930 158
3. There is no justification for continuing to operate all facilities in the defendant
school system. To do so is neither educationally sound nor economically or administrative-
ly feasible or practical.
4. The proposed plan is based and proposed upon educational, economic and admini-
strative considerations. It will bring about more feasible educational, administrative and
economic use of present building facilities without establishing racially identifiable schools.
It will create a unitary and racially non=discriminatory school system within the Defendant
School District.
This motion is based upon the pleadings, reports, and other evidence already in the
record of this case and upon evidence to be adduced at the hearing of this motion.
Respectfully submitted,
CANTON MUNICIPAL SEPARATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
By CD do .
7 ;
Joe R. Fancher, Jr.
Attorney
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
|, Joe R. Fancher, Jr., Attorney for Canton Municipal Separate School District,
do hereby certify that on this the 13th day of July, 1971, | caused to be served
by United States mail, postage prepaid, true and correct copies of the foregoing
Motion for Modification upon attorneys of record for Plaintiffs and Plaintiff-
Intervenor, addressed as follows:
Mr. Melvyn R. Leventhal
538-3 North Farish Street
P. O. Drawer 290
Jackson, Mississippi 39202
Mr. Melvyn Zarr
10 Columbus Circle, Suite 2030
New York, N. Y. 10019
Mr. David L. Norman
Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Department of Justice
Washington, D. C. 20530
Mr. C. J. Calnan, Attorney
Department of Justice
Washington, D. C. 20530
Hon. Robert E. Hauberg
United States Attorney
P. O. Box 2091
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
Done this the 13th day of July, 1971
Pet ore
v" Joe R. Fancher, Jr. =
Attorney at Law
P. O. Box 245
Canton, Mississippi 39046