The End of Court-Ordered Desegregation

Abstract

In response to three Supreme Court rulings in the early 1990s, numerous court-ordered desegregation plans have been terminated. Using a unique dataset and an event study research design, this paper explores the impact of these terminations. The results suggest that termination produces a moderate increase in racial segregation. Outside of the south, dismissal also increases the rate at which black students drop out of school and attend private school. In the south, in contrast, there is no change in the school attendance patterns of blacks. Finally, evidence is presented that whites re-enter dismissed districts in large numbers in the south. (JEL H75, I21, I28, J15, K10)

School Segregation, Educational Attainment, and Crime: Evidence from the End of Busing in Charlotte-Mecklenburg *

“…We present suggestive evidence that increases in resource allocation toward high-minority high schools in CMS may have mitigated the effect of rezoning for younger cohorts. This evidence is consistent with Reber (2010), who finds that the benefits of desegregation were driven by increases in resources rather than exposure to whites, and Lutz (2011), who finds evidence of compensatory resource allocation after the end of court-ordered busing across a broad range of school districts. However, the effects on crime do not diminish over time.…”

“…Our work is most closely related to Lutz (2011), who uses differential timing of court orders to compare outcomes in districts before and after changes in student assignment plans and finds that dismissal of a court order leads to small increases in the black dropout rate in non-Southern districts. Our results complement Lutz (2011) in several ways. First, the rezoning of CMS schools led to changes in segregation that were considerably larger than the average district in Lutz (2011).…”

An Empirical Analysis of Racial Segregation in Higher Education

“…It also includes work on the effects of K-12 desegregation policy on segregation levels (Reber 2005), school district finances (Reber 2011), housing prices (Boustan 2012), residential and school choices (Baum-Snow and Lutz 2011), educational outcomes (Guryan 2004;Reber 2010;Johnson 2011), economic outcomes (Johnson 2011), 4 health (Johnson 2010(Johnson , 2011, and crime (Weiner, Lutz, and Ludwig 2009;Johnson 2011). 1 Clotfelter, Vigdor, and Ladd (2006);Lutz (2011);and Reardon et al (2012) have studied whether there is "resegregation" now that desegregation plans are being lifted. Billings, Deming, and Rockoff (2014) study the effects of ending a desegregation plan on academic outcomes and crime.…”

Intended and Unintended Consequences of Prison Reform

“…Court orders decrease the 15. In a different vein, Lutz (2011) analyzes the impact on school districts of being dismissed from court-ordered desegregation plans.…”

“…Federal judges, on the other hand, are appointed for life and thus can force massive prison releases without facing negative personal consequences. The political insulation of federal judges can explain the recent court order to release inmates from California state prisons, Brown v. Plata, 563 US 1910(2011.…”