By GABE JORDAN

gabe.jordan@gaflnews.com

CORDELE — The Crisp County Board of Education unanimously adopted an amended non-resident student policy earlier this week and directed BOE attorney James Hurt to move forward on unitary status for the school system.

The amended policy conforms to an order handed down in early August by U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands. Sands’ order, and the new policy approved by the Crisp school board, do not affect current students from Dooly and other counties.

The new policy and its governing regulations mandate that future out-of-county transfers to the Crisp system must apply for admission. The cumulative effect of those transfers must not tip the racial balance of either Crisp County or the county from which the non-resident students are transferring by more than five percent.

Non-resident students’ applications will be stamped to verify the time and date they were submitted, according to the new regulations, so that if the five-percent threshold is reached a cut-off point will be able to be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis.

While Sands’ order has been widely received as a victory for students from Dooly and other counties who attend Crisp County schools, he did require future transfers to be monitored so that desegregation efforts are not affected. Hurt told board members before they approved the new policy he felt confident it would meet the federal judge’s criteria.

The board also voted unanimously to authorize Hurt to initiate attempts to secure unitary status for the system.

“I’ve been on the board of education for 10 years and I believe we’ve discussed unitary status every year,” said board member Lydia Adkins. “I think it’s time we move forward.”

Unitary status refers to the county’s standing with the federal government regarding school desegregation efforts originally begun in 1970. If the Crisp system achieves unitary status, federal oversight in this regard will end, according to school officials.