In 2007, the Supreme Court declared race-conscious school admissions unconstitutional. This paper provides the first evaluation of a related federal mandate where a school district was forced to adopt a race-blind lottery system for its magnet schools. Lottery-estimated magnet school returns fall substantially under race-blind admissions. I explore a plausible mechanism: the dramatic increase in racial segregation following the mandate. More segregated schools spend less per pupil, enroll lower-achieving students, employ lower value-added teachers, and perpetuate “white flight” out of the district. Ultimately, segregation arising from mandated race-blind admissions causes student achievement and college attendance rates to decline.
Author(s): Jason B. Cook