Thursday, March 28, 2024

U.S. GAO Report: U.S. Schools Remain Segregated

sad black boy
Young sad boy at school stock photo

*According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, schools in the US “remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines throughout the U.S.—even as the K-12 public school student population grows more diverse,” per the report

“Because district boundaries often determine which school a student can attend, school district boundaries can contribute to continued division along racial/ethnic lines,” per the GOA report. 

“We also found that new school districts that seceded from existing districts usually had higher percentages of white and Asian students than districts they left,” the agency writes. 

As the K-12 school student population grows, schools remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines throughout the country.

READ MORE: Nehemiah Juniel, 15, is Youngest Graduate at Sam Houston State University | Video

Here’s more per GAO.gov:

What GAO Found
As the K-12 public school student population grows significantly more diverse, schools remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines throughout the U.S. These divisions span school types, regions, and community types (urban, suburban, and rural). More than a third of students (about 18.5 million) attended a predominantly same-race/ethnicity school—where 75 percent or more of the student population is of a single race/ethnicity—according to GAO’s analysis of Department of Education data for school year 2020-21. GAO also found that 14 percent of students attended schools where 90 percent or more of the students were of a single race/ethnicity.

Why GAO Did This Study
It is widely recognized that a history of discriminatory practices has contributed to inequities in education, intertwined with disparities in wealth, income, and housing. Because district boundaries typically define the schools a student can attend and public education is partially funded by local property tax revenues, lower-income communities generally have fewer resources available for schools. For example, GAO previously reported that students who are poor, Black, and Hispanic generally attend schools with fewer resources and worse outcomes.

GAO was asked to examine the prevalence and growth of segregation in K-12 public schools. This report examined the extent of (1) racial, ethnic, and economic divisions in K-12 public schools, and (2) district secession and any resulting student demographic shifts.

Read the full report here.

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