Federal Judge Ends Decades-Old Little Rock-Area School Desegregation Case

The Pulaski County Special School District has eliminated inequalities identified in 2020 between two of its schools.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A federal judge has ended a 43-year desegregation case after ruling that the Pulaski County Special School District in central Arkansas is now providing equitable facilities to its students, following years of court supervision. The district has made several upgrades at Mills University Studies High School, which has a student body that is 60% Black, to address disparities with the whiter Joe T. Robinson Middle School.

Why it matters

The case stems from the racial disparities that persisted in Arkansas schools after the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School, when President Eisenhower sent federal troops to escort nine Black students past an angry white mob. This ruling marks a major milestone in the decades-long effort to desegregate schools in the Little Rock area.

The details

In a seven-page ruling, U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. said the Pulaski County Special School District had eliminated the inequalities identified in 2020 between Joe T. Robinson Middle School and Mills University Studies High School. Over the past five years, the district has made several upgrades at the high school, including six new traditional classrooms, office space, a softball field and a multi-purpose arena that seats more than 2,200.

  • The case began in November 1982 when the Little Rock School District sued to create one consolidated and integrated countywide school district.
  • A district court ruled in 1984 that three Pulaski County school districts were unconstitutionally segregated.
  • The court placed the districts under court supervision until they could be declared 'unitary', a status they could achieve after meeting desegregation criteria.
  • In 2014, Marshall approved a settlement that allowed the phase-out of payments stemming from the 1982 case that the state had been making to the three districts to aid desegregation efforts.
  • On February 26, 2026, Marshall ended the 43-year desegregation case.

The players

D.P. Marshall Jr.

A U.S. District Judge who ended the 43-year desegregation case.

Pulaski County Special School District

The central Arkansas school district that was under court supervision for decades and has now been found to be providing equitable facilities to its students.

Little Rock School District

The school district that sued in 1982 to create one consolidated and integrated countywide school district.

North Little Rock School District

One of the three Pulaski County school districts that was found to be unconstitutionally segregated in 1984.

Dwight Eisenhower

The U.S. President who sent federal troops to escort nine Black students into Little Rock Central High School in 1957, marking a major milestone in the integration of Arkansas schools.

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What they’re saying

“We've come far. Though of course imperfect, like all human institutions, today the Pulaski County Special School District is unitary.”

— D.P. Marshall Jr., U.S. District Judge (arkansasadvocate.com)

What’s next

The court will retain its jurisdiction until April 30 to address any disputes between parties in the case about earned but unpaid attorney's fees.

The takeaway

This ruling marks a major milestone in the decades-long effort to desegregate schools in the Little Rock area, which has its roots in the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School. While imperfect, the Pulaski County Special School District has now been found to be providing equitable facilities to its students, a significant achievement after years of court supervision.