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S “Hispanic students and white students do not have equal Hispanic students and white students do not have equal
SCHOOL CHOICECHOOL CHOICE
“
access to an A-rated school,” he said.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 But when C-rated schools are considered, the results are
system, whereby all students attend schools in their own vastly di erent. Nearly 5 percent of white students live within
neighborhood. a half mile of a C-rated school, while 25 percent of Hispanic
Hom noted that minority students are disproportionately students are that close to a C-rated school, Hom said. at
underrepresented in high quality schools. “Racial sorting and statistic shows there is unequal access to quality schools, he said.
inconvenient access undermine minority enrollment in high On whether school choice reduces segregation, Hom said on
quality schools,” he said. “Parents care a lot about the racial identity average white students go to a school that is 59 percent white.
of their fellow students.” Hispanic students attend schools that are 57 percent Hispanic.
Citing original analysis derived from data compiled with the “School choice has not led to more integrated schools,” Hom
help of the Arizona Department of Education and nine anonymous said. “Good schools are farther from Hispanic students.”
school districts, Hom focused on enrollment patterns of roughly Parents of all races and ethnicities similarly value proximity,
130,000 K-8 students across nearly 200 schools in nine districts. quality and being among same racial and ethnic peers, but the
e average open enrollment rate is 37 percent. “ at means nearly outcomes are di erent. Hom explained: “ ere is a disparate
four of ten students in Maricopa County are attending a non- supply of high-quality schools in minority neighborhoods.” In
neighborhood school,” Hom said. If charter schools are included, addition, because of the distance involved, transportation costs
the open enrollment rate jumps to 47 percent. to attend a quality school are higher for Hispanic families than
Who are the students who attend a non-neighborhood for white families.
school? Hom said 35 percent of Hispanic students enroll in a “In other words,” Hom said, “everybody wants the same thing
non-neighborhood school compared with 35 percent of whites. for their child – a great education, close to home and to be part
He noted that these groups use choice di erently. For example, of the community where they feel comfortable.”
conditional on opting out of their neighborhood school, 66 percent In summary, Hom said, “A student’s experience with school
of whites living in the neighborhood of a B-rated school enroll in choice depends upon who they are, where they live, and
an A school, compared with 32 percent of Hispanics. Although whether they expect to be part of the majority or the minority
one possible explanation is a di erence in values between whites at a school.”
and Hispanics, Hom argued that these di erences are attributable Hom said he reached three conclusions: “Choice is
to unequal neighborhood access to quality schools. complicated, providing parents with the right to choose is not
Because of unequal neighborhood access, Hom disputed a the same as giving them the ability to choose quality schools,
suggestion that choice promotes attendance at better schools. and schools are communities. School choice represents more
He said 19 percent of Hispanics live in the neighborhood of an than just an implicit handshake between families and schools.”
A school, compared to 57 percent of white students. He said that Le unanswered, according to Hom, is this question: “What
20 percent of white students live within a half mile of an A-rated will it take to make a school choice system that will bene t
school, compared to 10 percent of Hispanic students. everyone?”

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