School District Borders Can Worsen Inequality. These Students Are Fighting for a Better Education

In the United States, school district borders often reflect and reinforce patterns of residential segregation, which means that students from low-income families and students of color are more likely to attend schools with fewer resources and less experienced teachers.

A new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that students who attend schools with high levels of income inequality are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to go to college. The study also found that these students are more likely to be incarcerated later in life.

“This research shows that school district boundaries can play a major role in perpetuating inequality,” said study co-author John Friedman. “When students are segregated by income and race, it creates a system where some students have access to opportunities and resources that others don’t.”

There are a number of things that can be done to address the issue of school district segregation, including:

Creating magnet schools that attract students from diverse backgrounds.
Providing more funding to schools in low-income areas.
Investing in professional development for teachers in low-income schools.
Implementing policies that promote open enrollment, which allows students to attend schools outside of their own district.

Students across the country are also fighting for a better education. In Benton Harbor, Michigan, a group of students is suing the state for failing to provide them with an equal education. The students argue that their schools are underfunded and overcrowded, and that they do not have access to the same resources as students in neighboring districts.

“We deserve the same opportunities as students in other districts,” said one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. “We deserve to go to schools that are safe and well-funded, and that have teachers who are qualified to teach us.”

The lawsuit is still ongoing, but it is a sign of the growing resistance to school district segregation. Students across the country are demanding a better education, and they are not going to give up until they get it.

In addition to the steps listed above, there are a number of other things that individuals and communities can do to help fight school district segregation: