Lamar School (Meridian, Mississippi)

History

Chartered in 1964, Lamar Elementary opened with grades one through six in 1965. Lamar Middle/High School opened in 1970. The school's name memorializes Confederate politician, enslaver, and white supremacist Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar. The school was established in 1964 as a segregation academy. 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.

For the 1965-1966 school year, 49% of the school's tuition revenue came from grants provided by 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. The Internal Revenue Service revoked the school's tax exemption after it declined to document that it had a racially nondiscriminatory admissions policy.

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

Student body

In the 2015-16 school year, the student body (grades 1-12) of 541 had 21 black students (4%). 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, Minorities are still severely underrepresented, as the community is 66% minority, including 63% black.

For the 2019-2020 school year, Lamar students elected a black pupil as Student Council President. However, the campus administration, board, and faculty remain almost exclusively white.

Notable alumnae

• Sela Ward, film and television actress.
• Cheri Barry, first woman Mayor of Meridian

References

References

1. Johnston, Erle. (1990). "Mississippi's Defiant Years, 1953-1973: An Interpretive Documentary with Personal Experiences". Lake Harbor Publishers.
2. (December 21, 1971). "Court Defines School Tax Status". [[St. Petersburg Times]].
3. ''Coffey v. State Educational Finance Commission'' [https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/296/1389/1982533/ 296 F. Supp. 1389 (S.D. Miss. 1969) ]
4. (November 1, 1985). "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".
5. Jones, Kevin. (April 28, 1985). "A changing of the guard". Clarion-Ledger.
6. "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Educations Statistics.
7. "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Educations Statistics.
8. "ACS School District Profile 2015-19".
9. . (2 June 2020). ["Lamar High School"](https://meridianstar-cnhi.newsmemory.com/). *The Meridian Star*.
10. . ["Head of School"](http://www.lamarschool.com/about-us/headofschool.cfm). *Lamar School*.
11. . ["Lamar School Foundation Board"](http://www.lamarschool.com/about-us/foundationboard.cfm). *Lamar School*.
12. . ["Faculty"](http://www.lamarschool.com/about-us/faculty.cfm). *Lamar School*.
13. (24 January 2011). "Sela Ward: 'My Journey Has Been a Journey Home'". Parade.
14. . (8 January 2024). ["Cheryl Merritt Barry ("Cheri") Obituary"](https://obituaries.meridianstar.com/obituary/cheryl-barry-1089250990). *Meridian Star*.