The long-running Cleveland School District desegregation suit has decided that the latest district plan to desegregate its schools will not be accepted by the plaintiffs. This means there is no chance of a settlement. The U.S. Department of Justice and plaintiffs have not only filed notice with the federal district court that oversees the desegregation effort, but also stated that they will continue to support the May 13 order of that court. This order assigns all 9th-12th graders to one high school in Cleveland High and Margaret Green, both located on the west side of Cleveland, and uses East Side High School for the majority of 6th-8th graders. The 2017-2018 school year will see the implementation of this plan. “We trust that the fair and reasonable plan will effectively incorporate the CSD’s(Cleveland Schools District) middle- and high schools. This provided a long awaited solution to the Plaintiffs,” stated a letter sent by the plaintiff’s lawyer to U.S. District Court. Jamie Jacks, the attorney for the school district, did not return a call Monday. Recently, the district came up with a plan that would have all 9th and 10th-graders living on the East Side High campus. Cleveland High would house 11th and 12th-graders. The majority of 6th-8th graders would attend Margaret Green Junior High. In opposition to the plan, the U.S. Department of Justice spoke out with plaintiff’s lawyer. The Justice Department sent a letter stating that while the United States appreciated the District’s embrace for consolidation and its efforts to address the concerns of East Side communities in developing its current proposal, Plan E (the most recent school district plan) fails “to equitably balance both the burdens and benefits desegregation across Cleveland and is both less feasible than the Court’s Adopted Plan.” According to the Justice Department, the latest district plan would require more students to be transferred. This could lead to “academic as well as social difficulties” for students. In July, the Cleveland School Board voted to appeal the court plan. The appeal is still in effect. The district continues to implement the May 13 court order, despite the appeal and the proposed new plan by the school board. The district has begun to implement the May 13 court order by creating a multiracial advisory committee that met in November. They also collaborated with community members and other organizations like the Delta Arts Alliance and local community colleges. The current district population is approximately 68 percent African American and 27 percent white. The district expressed concern about possible white flight in previous filings. The court ordered that the district house all students from Margaret Green and Cleveland High. Many black residents opposed the abandonment of the facilities located on the east side of town because both campuses are on the predominantly white west side.