Learning Policy Institute Publishes Blog on School Integration
Last week, the Learning Policy Institute released a new blog in their Education and the Path to Equity series explaining a federal change that allowed for the use of federal school transportation funds to support school integration starting January 1, 2021.
The blog explains the historical context behind the former prohibition, sharing that the last provision barring the use of federal funds was removed in the omnibus budget bill passed at the end of 2020.
This move was integral to fulfilling the mandate of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case and delivers better mechanisms for local desegregation efforts. The blog notes that despite a racially and ethnically diverse student population, half of all schoolchildren attend schools in which more than three quarters of their peers are of the same race.
Unlike students in highly segregated schools, those who attend integrated schools have been shown to experience higher academic outcomes as well as social benefits such as improved critical thinking and an increased likelihood of graduating high school and obtaining further education.
The availability of federal funds to advance desegregation offers the opportunity to mitigate educational disparities.