The Relative Contribution of School Districts and Places to Metropolitan Racial Segregation

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: The Nexus of Geography and Race in Education Policy

Abstract

Recent studies have acknowledged the role of schools in racial residential segregation, and that the links between school and residential segregation are bidirectional. School district boundaries in particular have been singled out as a critical residential sorting force. In this study we examine the relative contribution of school districts and places to metropolitan racial segregation for the total population and the under-18 population from 1990 through 2010. By comparing the contribution of school districts to places in the 100 largest metropolitan areas, we are able to assess to what extent school district boundaries matter in relation to another administrative unit. Findings from this study will inform our understanding of the unique contributions school district make to metropolitan segregation over time.

Authors

• Kendra Taylor, The Pennsylvania State University

• Erica Frankenberg, The Pennsylvania State University