NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) —New Hanover County Schools is under investigation by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, after a parent filed a complaint accusing the school district of discrimination. WWAY spoke with the parent who filed the complaint, leading the OCR to open a Title VI investigation.
Katrina Aldrich is a mother of four. She says her oldest son went to Hoggard High School, a predominantly white school in the district, and two of her sons went to New Hanover High School, which has a majority of Black and Hispanic students.
She says she began to notice a significant difference in the facilities in 2014, when one of her sons started school at New Hanover High. She noticed the gym need air conditioning, which later resulted in bond funds being used to fix the issue.
“Being a Hoggard mom, you don’t notice those things, and I don’t blame a lot of people who’s kids don’t go to that school, –you don’t know it until you’re there, and now that I’ve started to know it, I noticed more, I did more research, I asked people, I asked other parents and I could not believe it, that this was like a Jonathan Kozal ‘savage inequalities’ book, and this was happening in 2014, -14,-15, -16. It wasn’t getting better,” said Katrina Aldrich, New Hanover County parent.
For years Aldrich says she sent letters to the school system, and the county about the drastic differences between four schools in new Hanover County.
She filed an official complaint with the office for civil rights in August of 2021.The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent an information request to New Hanover County Schools in August of 2022.
It asked the district to submit data, like the number of enrolled students, by race, for the past three school years at all four high schools.
It also asked for dates of the most recent renovations to facilities at all four schools, along with the school system’s long-range improvement plans.
School board member Judy Justice shared her thoughts on the current investigation.
“There is some very concerned alumni and parents, that really love that school, and I think they’re so frustrated, that’s what they’ve finally decided to do. They couldn’t get their needs and concerns addressed in any other way, and speaking for myself, I wish more had been done in the past,” said Judy Justice, New Hanover County School Board member.
Aldrich believes the difference in the facilities has an impact on students.
“The message that’s being sent to the students that walk into that school every day and it’s the message that’s being sent to the students that don’t walk into that school every day, and the ones who don’t walk into that school see that they’re worthy of these kinds of facilities, and the students downtown are not worthy,” said Aldrich.
The OCR enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance from the department of education.
Aldrich hopes the investigation will give New Hanover High School parents a new sense of hope
“I hope that they say, I have hope now, so I’m going to wait it out another year or two, –that the investigation gives them hope, and ultimately the investigation brings about change. Which is all I was trying to do, was create a change in what’s going on, and not have to bring in all of this,” said Aldrich.
The district is required to have all of the data requested by the OCR submitted by September 26. A spokesperson with New Hanover County Schools provided a statement, which said “New Hanover County Schools is working with the department of education to complete their request for information.”
Read More: Complaint leads to federal investigation into New Hanover County Schools