Race is a strong predictor of which public schools are offering in-person classes to start the year, an analysis by AP/Chalkbeat shows. Districts with mostly white students are more likely than those with mostly Black or Latino ones to open their doors.
Tiffany Shelton helps her 7-year-old son, P.J. Shelton, a second-grader, during an online class at their home in Norristown, Pa., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. Norristown Area School District plans to offer online-only instruction through at least January 2021. The parent of a first-grader and a sixth-grader who attend schools on Indianapolis’ southeast side struggled trying to oversee her children’s schooling while working from home this spring.
While that stark divide often reflects the preferences of parents, it’s one that could further exacerbate inequities in education. Across the surveyed districts, 79% of Hispanic students, 75% of Black students, and 51% of white students won’t have the option of in-person learning. There are a number of possible explanations for the racial divide. One is politics. Schools in areas that supported President Donald Trump in 2016 are more likely to open in person, the AP/Chalkbeat andAnother potential reason: School officials are responding to families. National and state polls show that Black and Latino parents are more likely to be wary of returning to school in person than white parents.
School officials were “very cognizant” that the communities they serve have been disproportionately affected by the virus, according to superintendent Christopher Dormer, who also cited the district’s funding shortfalls and older buildings as playing a role in the decision to stay online.Tiffany Shelton, who has a high school senior and a second-grader, supported the district’s decision to start virtually.
“We simply said: We’re coming back, whether our neighbors do or not,” superintendent Michael Lubelfeld said, “and here’s how.”
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