Parent Perceptions of an Involuntary Busing Program

Abstract

This study examines the perceived advantages and disadvantages to an involuntary busing program that is employed by the school district in order to desegregate schools. The participants who were interviewed in the study are black parents whose children participate in the busing program, and the findings of the study specifically reflect the views of these black parents. The study utilizes a legal storytelling framework, which allows for the narratives shared by the participants to be contextualized using the existing literature on the topic of school desegregation. The analysis of the findings is done by comparing the stories of the participants to the literature, with attention to similarities and differences as well as new findings and potential topics for further research. Results of the study indicate that black parents perceive that there are considerably more disadvantages to the involuntary busing program than advantages. The concerns of participants include limited opportunity to attend school events, financial hardships caused by transportation costs and missed work hours, student attendance issues, student achievement concerns, and increased parent stress and inconvenience. The primary advantages listed related to the diverse learning environment that school desegregation provides.The results of the study do inform the existing body of literature on the topic of school desegregation by providing the perceptions and views of black parents whose children are involved in a mandatory busing program. The voice of the black parent regarding these topics has not been addressed in great depth within the existing literature. In addition, the results of the study may provide valuable information for the school administrators and policy makers who continue to work with the issues surrounding school desegregation.