Charles C. Crump, Board applicant, tells Hoover City panel he would pursue unitary status, review library materials and plan for long-term capacity

Charles C. Crump, an applicant for the Hoover City Board of Education, told the board during his interview that his priorities would include pursuing unitary status from a decades-old desegregation order, reviewing library materials with legal counsel, and studying long-term capacity needs including the possibility of a third high school.

Crump said he has been researching the district's federal desegregation oversight and wants to “see exactly where are they saying we don't meet these factors” before proposing steps to address them. He acknowledged he did not have the full list of required factors memorized but said he would sit down with colleagues and the legal team to determine how the district can meet those conditions and secure unitary status.

During the interview a board member responding from personal experience summarized the five factors typically considered in unitary-status reviews—faculty, staff, facilities, transportation and extracurricular activities—and urged attention to ensuring those areas are not segregated. Crump said Hoover’s current operations, including its transportation system, should be examined against those factors to identify gaps and areas to bridge.

On the question of a third high school, Crump said the two immediate questions are location and affordability. “With projects like that, we can't be thinking about the here and now. We have to be thinking about 20 years from now,” he said, adding that the district would need substantial research to determine whether it could sustain and afford a new campus.

When asked about regulation of library materials, Crump said the district should be “careful” about books that touch on sensitive subjects and that reviews should involve the district’s legal team and other stakeholders before materials are added to school libraries. He described the matter as one that requires deliberation rather than unilateral action.

Crump also said he believes Hoover City Schools is less dependent on federal funding than many other districts and that changes at the U.S. Department of Education could affect local oversight dynamics; he did not specify particular funding levels or cite specific statutes. When asked how he would respond to a parent bringing a serious matter, Crump said he would listen, gather the facts, relay the issue to other board members, and allow the superintendent’s chain of command to follow established procedures while following up with all parties.

Crump closed by describing his motivations for serving: he said he would treat district students as his own and emphasized a long-term view of outcomes rather than seeking a lifetime position on the board. The board did not state a timeline for selection or next steps during the portion of the meeting recorded in the transcript.