Group Wants All School Employees' Kids Able To Attend MB Schools

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — One of Mountain Brook City Schools' objectives discussed last school year was to improve the diversity of the schools, and a proposal brought forward by some in the community to achieve that goal is to allow employees of the school system who live out of the district to enroll their kids in Mountain Brook schools.

Mountain Brook remains one of the only school systems in the state that does not permit employees who live out-of-district to enroll their children in the system's schools.

The school system formed a Diversity Committee in 2020 to examine its efforts to "enhance structures and practices to ensure that the school district honors individual differences, diversity, and the dignity of all, and that all members of the school community are treated with respect," according to its mission statement.

Superintendent Dicky Barlow said the out-of-district employee issue, while not formally discussed, was brought up by members of the Diversity Committee this past summer.

"MBS is beginning to implement the committee's recommendations, as schools are in the process of forming their own diversity committees that will spearhead initiatives on each campus," Barlow said. "The work of the Diversity Committee is dynamic and ongoing."

A local diversity and inclusion advocacy group, MB Listens, is lobbying the Mountain Brook Board of Education to change their policy on out-of-district employees enrolling their children in the schools.

In a letter to the school board, MB Listens said:

"We believe the goals of both MBS and MB Listens are closely aligned when it comes to diversity and inclusion. We are also impressed with the breadth of expertise that the members of your diversity committee possess to aide in working through the process of addressing diversity and inclusion in MBS; and look forward to their recommendations on (1) programming and curriculum, (2) communication and community, and (3) professional learning and student training.

"MB Listens also recognizes that the school district has been working for some time now on studying the feasibility of several key initiatives regarding diversity and inclusion. And, we believe the timing is perfect to immediately adopt one of those initiatives: a new policy that would allow the children of MBS faculty and staff, who do not reside in the district, to attend Mountain Brook Schools.”

The lack of diversity in Mountain Brook's schools reflects the lack of diversity in the city's population, however. The latest census shows the racial makeup of the city was 97.2 percent white, 1.0 percent Black or African American, 1 percent Hispanic, 0.1 percent Native American, 0.9 percent Asian, 0.2 percent from other races and 0.6 percent from two or more races.

The school system was started in 1959, but Mountain Brook High School graduated its first African American student in 1993.

The most recent rankings by Niche.com of Alabama school systems ranks Mountain Brook third, an unfamiliar spot for a school system that was for decades the top system on the state, and one of the top systems in the country.

Mountain Brook City School received an "A+" in every category but one: Diversity. The system received a "D+" in that category, while excelling in the categories of Academics, teachers, Activities, College Prep and Health and Safety.

MB Listens said in its petition to the school system that allowing all school employees to enroll their children in Mountain Brook Schools may improve that score.

"We believe it will have an extremely positive impact on (1) the current MBS students by increasing their exposure to a more diverse student population, (2) the children of MBS faculty and staff who will newly be able take advantage of everything MBS has to offer for their education, (3) the faculty and staff themselves that can provide one more choice when it comes to providing what is best for their family, and (4) the entire community by improving the overall quality and ranking of the Mountain Brook school system," the letter to the board said. "Finally, we do not believe the number of additional students that this initiative may add to the overall MBS population will be significant, nor outweigh all of the benefits of adopting this policy."

The MBS Diversity Committee recently put forth five recommendations to the school board, not none of the five mentions allowing employees enroll their children in the city's schools.

The five recommendations are:

1. Effectively develop diversity programming committees at each Mountain Brook School to develop programming that will enhance students’ experiences and opportunities to interact and partner with diverse communities and people.
2. Define hate speech and symbols as a separate actionable offense in the Mountain Brook Schools Code of Conduct.
3. Develop methods of communication with the broader Mountain Brook community about diversity opportunities and experiences to support students, families, and community members.
4. Develop partnerships with local and national organizations as a resource for professional learning, student training, and parent support, including the Anti-Defamation League, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center.
5. Exploration and development of authentic experiences through which schools experience positive interactions with more diverse communities in an effort to develop understanding, collaboration, and growth.

Schools are in the process of forming their own diversity committees that will spearhead the initiatives on their campuses.