A U.S. District Court judge Tuesday dismissed a civil action filed by a parent against the Ascension Parish School Board.

Middle District of Louisiana Chief Judge Ralph E. Tyson dismissed the action, filed by Darrin Kenny Lewis Sr.

The court considered the report and recommendation of U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine Noland, dated Aug. 5, according to the ruling document.

“We’re very happy that this has been settled,” Superintendent Donald Songy said Wednesday.

The action stemmed from the board’s adoption of a new redistricting plan, known as Option 2f, from Jan. 15, 2008.

The plan is an attempt to decrease overcrowding issues by spreading the student population from one east bank high school to another.

Some students who once fed into Dutchtown High School in Geismar began to move into East Ascension High School in Gonzales.

Songy said the public has been encouraged to participate in the decision process.

Despite this, not everyone has been pleased with the final decision.

The suit sought to reverse the board’s decision to redistrict the attendance zone.

Opponents of the plan have contended that it would create racial and economic disparities among the three east-bank high schools.

A group called Save Our Community Schools organized to publicize perceived disparities.

SOCS supporters circulated fliers and set up a Web site at www.socs07.org.

Bridget Thomas, who recently attended the board’s town-hall meetings on the Oct. 17 ballot initiative to extend the millage four additional years, provided fliers to the audiences and questioned school officials about disparities she found.

Thomas, who works as an accountant, said she obtained statistics from the state Department of Education.

She said the figures proved that economic, racial and test-score disparities existed among the three schools.

Thomas pointed to numbers that showed schools feeding into East Ascension had a 60 percent at-risk population, which is determined by totaling the free and reduced lunch population.

She also reported that the district’s LEAP and GEE scores have fallen from 10th in the state to 17th since 2002.

She found that East Ascension feeder schools had a 64 average score on the tests, while St. Amant High’s had an 80 average and Dutchtown’s had an 84 average.

Thomas also noted the schools minority status.

She said 29 percent of the east bank school population is comprised of minority students.

East Ascension feeder schools were 51 percent minority, while St. Amant’s were 16 percent and Dutchtown’s were 26 percent.

Thomas asked why the board would address aging school buildings with the ballot initiative and not acknowledge the schools’ population differences.

At the meetings, Songy answered that the district has addressed all of the disparities.

He said the focus is currently on the millage extension, which is expected to fund $100 million in school improvements without raising taxes.

If voters approve the extension, some 20 parish schools would be in line for a variety of improvements.