Evanston community members expressed mixed reactions Wednesday to an Evanston/Skokie School District 65 proposal that could change the racial makeup of the district’s schools.

The proposal, introduced Monday at a school board meeting, suggests building a new school in the predominantly black Fifth Ward, evaluating how frequently black students are bused to schools outside their neighborhoods and changing a guideline that allows no more than 60 percent of students at a school to be of the same race.

At issue is the fact that racial integration and busing – implemented decades ago when schools were first desegregated – have not markedly improved test scores of black students, those the measures were intended to help. But D65 Superintendent Hardy Ray Murphy said improving students’ achievement should take precedence over diversity issues.

“It is important to realize that the first purpose of public education is to make sure students achieve,” Murphy said. “If we can do this in a way that celebrates diversity, that’s good. But busing and integration are not required for students to get a good education.”

Ald. Joseph Kent (5th) agreed with Murphy, saying he supports building a new school in his ward. Currently, there is no school in the Fifth Ward and all students are bused to other areas of the city.

“I think a school in the Fifth Ward would be absolutely wonderful,” Kent said. “A school in the neighborhood adds a stability factor and gives kids an opportunity to stay after school and participate in activities.”

The student body of a school in the Fifth Ward likely would be more than 60 percent black, which would violate the district guideline. But Kent said diversity is not as important as student achievement.

“As long as a school in the Fifth Ward proves itself to be successful, you won’t have to worry about whether or not it is diverse,” he said.

Other community members generally supported the committee’s proposal but said building a new school or changing the busing system are not the best ways to improve achievement of minority students.

The geographic locations of schools or their racial composition are not the key factors in determining schools’ success, said Bennett Johnson, the director of the Evanston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Instead of building a new school or changing racial guidelines, parents and teachers should be held responsible for student success, Johnson said. Parents should work with their children at home, and teachers should give them adequate attention in schools.

“Spending time (building a) school misses the whole point,” Johnson said. “We have to find other ways to improve learning.”

Two district PTA presidents also said building a new school does not solve the problem of low minority achievement. Emily Graef, one of the PTA presidents at King Lab School, said a better way to handle the issue would be to establish parental tutoring schools and reduce student-to-teacher ratios.

Washington School PTA President Allie Payne said the high cost of a new school also is problematic – especially since D65 faces a $2.4 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2002-2003.

“Saying that a school in the Fifth Ward will solve everything is a little simplistic,” Payne said.

The proposal to change racial integration policies is still in early stages. The school board will most likely adopt an initial plan at its next meeting, but then send it to administrators to study whether its implementation would be feasible, said board member Greg Klaiber, who also is on the proposal’s strategic planning committee. Klaiber said he expects the process to take about a year.

“We still have a lot to consider before we make any final decisions,” he said.