Opponents of Mt. Diablo secession call it 'segregation'

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- A school secession fight in the East Bay brought out a huge crowd of parents and teachers in Contra Costa County.

RELATED: 5 East Bay schools want to secede from Mt. Diablo school district

Some parents in the Mount Diablo Unified School District wants to break away and form their own district.

Parents and teachers in the district cried out for unity. They don't want to see a secession from the district.

Even the superintendent hates the idea. "We believe it will hurt our students, it will hurt our parents, and teachers," said Nellie Meyer.

A group of parents who live in the affluent Northgate High School attendance area of Walnut Creek want to break away by allowing 5 Mount Diablo schools to secede and create the Northgate School District.

The parents, dressed in orange t-shirts, made their case to the Contra Costa County Board of Education, but opponents call the idea segregation.

"Economic status is a form of segregation," said one woman. "It would take us back to the 1950s."

Northgate parents deny a move to segregate. "We'd like accountability for our area," said Sarah Shelly.

Some parents worry a new district would cut special needs programs. "I'm here to stand up for my son and 300 students with special needs whose programming could be disrupted," said Natalie Ivankovich.

Others say, with 32,000 students, Mt. Diablo Unified is too big and they want out.

The county office of education will hold another hearing Wednesday and then decide if the idea of succession can move forward. It would still have to go before the state.

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