A WORKING PAPER ON PROBLEMS OF RACIAL IMBALANCE IN SCHOOLS / A. A. BUCHMILLER and MARTIN TEITEL.

THIS ANALYSIS OF NORTHERN DE FACTO SCHOOL SEGREGATION AND RACIAL IMBALANCE REVIEWS THE LEGAL ISSUES AND COURT DECISIONS GERMANE TO VARIOUS DESEGREGATION EFFORTS. IT IS NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH HOUSING PATTERNS MAY ACCOUNT FOR A LARGE PART OF THE RACIAL IMBALANCE IN SCHOOLS, GERRYMANDERING OF DISTRICT BOUNDARIES PLAYS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE. SCHOOL BOARDS ATTEMPTING TO DESEGREGATE SCHOOLS ARE FACED WITH THE ISSUES OF WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES AND WHAT IT ALLOWS THEM TO DO ABOUT DE FACTO SEGREGATION. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL LEGAL DECISIONS, A SCHOOL BOARD MUST NOT ACT "ARBITRARILY" OR "UNREASONABLY" IN APPLYING POLICIES THAT USE RACE AS THE DETERMINING FACTOR IN DECIDING TO REORGANIZE A SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS CRITERION APPLIES EQUALLY TO PLANS FOR PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS TO NEGRO SCHOOLS. IN GENERAL, SCHOOL OFFICIALS USE SIX BASIC PLANS TO ALLEVIATE RACIAL IMBALANCE--REZONING, OPEN ENROLLMENT, BUSING, CONROLLED BALANCE INVOLVING A SPECIFIED RACIAL PERCENTAGE, SITE SELECTION, AND SCHOOL REORGANIZATION. THE MOST DRAMATIC PLANS PROPOSED ARE THOSE INVOLVING CHANGES IN THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCH A PLAN IS THE "4-4-4" PROPOSAL, RECOMMENDED IN THE ALLEN REPORT (NEW YORK STATE). REGARDLESS OF THE PLAN USED, HOWEVER, NEWLY INTEGRATED MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN OFTEN NEED SCHOLASTIC REMEDIATION AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. ONE SUCH COMPENSATORY EDUCATION PROGRAM WHICH THIS PAPER DISCUSSES IS NEW YORK CITY'S HIGHER HORIZONS PROJECT. PERTINENT LEGAL CASES ARE ALSO REVIEWED. (NH)

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