A report on the state of public education in Halifax County recommends merging the economically distressed area's three school districts into one as a "significant first step" to ensuring all children receive the same quality of education, WRAL reports this morning.

The three districts – Halifax County Public Schools, Weldon City Schools and Roanoke Rapids Graded School District – serve approximately 8,000 students but remain among the most segregated in the state, according to the yearlong study, released Monday by the University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights.

(The executive summary, full report and leadership comments can be found by clicking the respective links)

In a county that is 39 percent white overall, nearly 100 percent of students at Halifax County Public Schools and Weldon City Schools are non-white, while Roanoke Rapids Graded School District is more than 70 percent white.

The former districts have some of the lowest-performing schools in the state and highest teacher turnover rates, the report says.

"Halifax County cannot meaningfully address the educational disparities within its borders without first dissolving the district boundaries that have served since their inception to entitle whites and oppress blacks in the community," the report says.

By unifying the three districts, the report adds, the county would be able to better attract and retain high-quality teachers and "create an environment conducive to true education reform by addressing old racial tensions and providing opportunities for meaningful integration and cultural responsiveness within the county's schools."