Lamar School (Meridian, Mississippi)

Lamar School, is an independent coeducational school located in Meridian, Mississippi, United States founded in 1964 as a segregation academy. It consists of elementary, middle, and high school, and serves grades Pre-K through 12th.

For high schools named Lamar, see Lamar High School.
Lamar School
Address
544 Lindley Road

Meridian
,
Mississippi
Coordinates32°24′48″N 88°39′57″W
Information
TypePrivate
MottoTruth, Knowledge, Honor
Established1964
HeadmasterLeigh Ann Ballou
GradesK-12
Enrollment653
Student to teacher ratio15:1
CampusSuburban
Color(s)Red, White, Navy
MascotRaider
WebsiteLamar School

History
Further information: Education segregation in the Mississippi Red Clay region

Chartered in 1964, Lamar Elementary opened with grades one through six in 1965. Lamar Middle/High School opened in 1970. The school's name pays tribute to Confederate politician, slaveholder, white supremacist, and Profiles in Courage honoree L.Q.C. Lamar. The school was established in 1964 as a segregation academy.[1] It was founded as a whites-only establishment, which led to the denial of its tax exemptions, a decision upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 1971.[2]

For the 1965-1966 school year, 49% of the schools tuition revenue came from grants provided by the state of Mississippi. In 1969, a federal court ruled that, since, in the court's opinion, the Lamar School would refuse to admit qualified black students, the tuition grant program violated the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment.[3] The school's tax exemption was revoked by the Internal Revenue Service after it declined to document that it had a racially nondiscriminatory admissions policy.[4]

In 1981, the school enrolled its first black student, the daughter of the Nigerian Finance Minister.[5]

Student Body

In the 2015-16 school year, the student body (grades 1-12) of 541 had 21 black students (4%).[6] Data available for the 2017-2018 school year reflects growing diversity. From a student body of 587 students (grades 1-12), 71 students (12%) identified as a member of a minority group,[7] Minorities are still severely underrepresented, as the community is 66% minority, including 63% black.[8]

For the 2019-2020 school year, Lamar students elected a black person, Khadijah Bell, as Student Council President.[9] However, the campus administration, board, and faculty remain almost exclusively white.[10][11][12]

Notable alumnae

References
  1. Johnston, Erle (1990). Mississippi's Defiant Years, 1953-1973: An Interpretive Documentary with Personal Experiences. Lake Harbor Publishers. p. 309. ISBN 9789991746159.
  2. "Court Defines School Tax Status". St. Petersburg Times. Times Wire Service. December 21, 1971. pp. 10–A. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
  3. Coffey v. State Educational Finance Commission 296 F. Supp. 1389 (S.D. Miss. 1969)
  4. Tax-exempt status of private schools :hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Ninety-ninth Congress, first session. November 1, 1985. hdl:2027/uc1.31210024924332.
  5. Jones, Kevin (April 28, 1985). "A changing of the guard". Clarion-Ledger. p. 1.
  6. "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Educations Statistics. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  7. "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Educations Statistics. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. "ACS School District Profile 2015-19".
  9. "Lamar High School". G:Class of 2020. Meridian, Mississippi: The Meridian Star. 2 June 2020. pp. G35–G39. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  10. "Head of School". Meridian, Mississippi: Lamar School. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  11. "Lamar School Foundation Board". Meridian, Mississippi: Lamar School. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  12. "Faculty". Meridian, Mississippi: Lamar School. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
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