New report creates a pathway for states to end
public school discrimination based on home address by
2030
ARLINGTON, Va., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, yes. every
kid. released a new policy report on how every state can end
discriminatory public school district boundary lines by 2030. To
honor the 70-year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court
decision Brown v. Board of Education on May
17 – which declared separate public schools for
students of different races unconstitutional – states have an
opportunity to enact policies that end restrictive practices in
education. The report shines light on all 50 states' current open
enrollment policies – policies that empower students to attend
school in districts outside of the boundary lines they are assigned
to – and outlines actionable policies states can emulate.
School boundaries often mirror the effects
of redlining practices dating back to the 1930s.
The report notes that 24 states make it a crime for
families to enroll their children in a public school using a shared
address. Therefore, the report makes the recommendation for 34
states that do not have mandatory open enrollment policies to
urgently enact legislation ensuring that a child's opportunity is
not limited by their address.
Students are currently assigned to a school based on where they
live, and de facto, their family's wealth, which reinforces racial
and economic divisions. School boundaries often mirror the effects
of redlining practices dating back to the 1930s. This archaic
practice prevents families from accessing the public schools that
best meet their children's needs.
The report's author recommends that states should enact the
following three policies:
- Prohibit Discrimination Based on Residential
Address: All states should include language that
explicitly prohibits states from discriminating against students
based on their residential address.
- Decriminalize Address Sharing: In 24
states, parents and guardians can still be jailed for crossing
school or district boundary lines, with districts often hiring
private investigators to follow parents to ensure that they meet
the residency requirements. These states must pass legislation
to ensure that parents will never be criminalized for accessing a
school outside of their attendance zone.
- Create Mandatory Open Enrollment: The 34 states
that do not have mandatory open enrollment must change their laws
and policies so that all districts must accept out-of-boundary
students. This will decouple family income from learning
opportunities.
Open enrollment policies can be a powerful tool in ensuring a
child's opportunity is not limited by their home address. Families
across the nation are signaling their desire for more options, with
75% of Americans supporting families to access any public school in
their state, regardless of home address or socioeconomic
status.
"All students deserve access to any public school, regardless of
their home address," said Halli
Faulkner, report lead author and yes. every kid. senior
legislative drafter. "The path to giving families the option to
access the public school that meets their kids' needs will not be
easy, but this report gives each state real steps to get
there."
"Families deserve access to a great education for their
children, regardless of their income or home address," said
Kelley Williams-Bolar, a parent who
was punished for trying to get her children a better-fit education.
"When I enrolled my children in a safer school district with better
resources using my father's address, I was arrested and put in
jail. Enrolling your child in a public school should never be
deemed a crime, and I'm glad to see tangible ways states can ensure
that no other families experience the injustice that we faced."
The report builds on the February launch of the No More Lines
Coalition, a group of nearly 50 nonpartisan education groups
committed to opening public school access for all students, ending
address discrimination, and ensuring that public education is free
while unbundling education and the housing market. More on how the
No More Lines coalition will expand access to a great education for
all students can be found here.
"Every day, children are denied access to a public school that
works for them simply because they do not live in the right
neighborhoods," said yes. every kid. Chief Operating Officer
Erica Jedynak. "The report outlines
how states can remove barriers to learning opportunities so public
schools will truly be public, no matter a family's socioeconomic
status. This roadmap equips states with an opportunity to empower
families to access the school which best meets their children's
unique needs."
The full report can be found here.
About yes. every kid.
yes. every kid. supports policies that respect the
dignity of every student, welcome innovative ideas and foster a
diversity of approaches to learning. yes. every kid. will support
and build coalitions to advance new conversations and bold visions
by bringing together differing voices and perspectives to
revolutionize the K-12 education experience.
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