The first part of this paper discusses the events leading up to the federal district court's May 18, 1980 decision in "Kelley et al. vs. Metropolitan County Board of Education of Nashville." The decision rejected a Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee, school board's rezoning plan and called for an end to busing in grades 1 through 4 and a return to neighborhood schools. The events described, covering the history of Nashville's desegregation efforts from 1955 to 1980, are divided into five stages: (1) 1955 to 1971: minimal efforts to comply with Brown vs. Board of Education; (2) 1971 to 1976: the comprehensive remedy--busing; (3) 1976 to 1979: plaintiffs oppose inequities; (4) 1979 to February 1980: the board's response--more busing; and (5) March 1980 to May 1980: legally approved resegregation. Following a review of each of these periods, the paper discusses Nashville's projected return to neighborhood schools as a consequence of three factors: the perceived failure of the 1971 desegregation plan, the perceived high social, educational, and financial costs of transportation in a declining economic environment, and the apparent decrease in support for busing among black leaders. The paper concludes by discussing possible implications of the court's decision and its July 27, 1982 overturning by the Sixth Circuit Court. (JBM)