Segregated housing and school attendance boundaries contributed to significant racial segregation in Waterloo, Iowa's public schools. In 1967, 81% of white students attended schools that were at least 90% white, and 30% of the black students attended schools at least 90% minority. Although 11 of the 33 Waterloo schools had black students, 66% of the black students attended schools with black majorities. In response to the demonstrations of 1967, the Waterloo school board issued its first statement of support for school desegregation. The board followed this announcement with a series of experiments in limited desegregation. These modest initiatives continued until the school board developed a comprehensive desegregation plan in 1973. In fall, 1968, the school board proposed open enrollment as the principal means to desegregate. Two other desegregation efforts initiated in 1968-70 involved the Price Laboratory School and the more complex and imaginative Bridgeway magnet school project. In the fall of 1972, the school board and administration took additional limited desegregation steps with the opening of the new Central High School. Through realignment, school authorities desegregated all three of the high schools. There has been no attempt to deal with segregation on the junior high level. Plans are being readied to desegregate the junior high schools through magnet schools, middle schools, and 4 year high schools. Many community members and students were not satisified with the school board's desegregation measures. In 1973 a comprehensive plan which included closing and pairing of schools in 13 of 35 attendance areas was adopted. This plan allowed considerable desegregation but preserved the concept of neighborhood schools. This plan did not involve every elementary school and could not achieve total desegregation. (Author/AM)