Giving Compass' Take:

• Amelia Harper at Education Dive discusses the economic and opportunity barriers that perpetuate racial segregation in schools, and why educators must creatively approach how to remedy this. 

• What are the proven benefits of classroom diversity?  How can donors support initiatives to break down barriers?

• Read about how public schools in D.C. are still struggling with diversity. 

In an effort to desegregate schools, the San Antonio Independent School District, with the help of Chief Innovation Officer Over 60 years after the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education decision, racial segregation in schools still persists because economic and opportunity barriers remain in many communities.

Studies show that diversity plays a positive role in education, not only for minority or disadvantaged students but for all students. Increasing diversity can help better prepare students for a multicultural world.

The path to true diversity is complicated by a number of factors primarily related to school funding. Housing patterns traditionally are impacted by the desirability of school attendance zones, which in turn means that certain schools have great access to funding from formulas based on property taxes, as well as fund-raising efforts.

Families with more access to money also have more options concerning education because they can choose private schools or charter schools without regard to transportation or enrollment issues. Public schools now need to work harder to create academic programs to retain these families, a result that is arguably a positive one benefitting all students in the long run.

But schools cannot address segregation alone. States, counties and municipalities also should play a role in tackling funding and transportation issues that may be throwing up barriers to diversity. However, school leaders can commit to increasing integration and examine efforts working in other districts, such as the San Antonio Independent School District, to see if these ideas can be scaled to their areas.

Read the full article about school diversity and desegregation by Amelia Harper at Education Dive