69传媒

Law & Courts A National Roundup

U.S. Appeals Court Backs Use of Race By Seattle 69传媒

By Ann Bradley 鈥 October 25, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

A federal appeals court last week upheld the Seattle school district鈥檚 use of race as a tiebreaker when deciding which students to admit to high schools.

In the Oct. 20 ruling, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, overturned a decision in the summer of 2004 by a three-judge panel of the court. (鈥淐ourt Rejects Seattle鈥檚 Race-Based Assignment Policy,鈥 July 29, 2004.)

Writing for a 7-4 majority of the court, Judge Raymond C. Fisher evaluates Seattle鈥檚 鈥渋ntegration tiebreaker鈥 in light of the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 2003 decisions in two higher education cases involving the University of Michigan and its law school.

鈥淲e conclude that the district has a compelling interest in securing the educational and social benefits of racial (and ethnic) diversity and in ameliorating racial isolation or concentration in its high schools by ensuring that its assignments do not simply replicate Seattle鈥檚 segregated housing patterns,鈥 the decision says. It adds that the plan is 鈥渘arrowly tailored.鈥

Under the district鈥檚 admission policy for its 10 high schools, revised in 2001-02, students entering 9th grade can select any school. They are assigned if possible to their first choice, but if a school is oversubscribed, the district uses a variety of indicators, including whether the student will help to racially balance the school.

In 2001, a group called Parents Involved in Community 69传媒 sued the district, claiming the use of race was illegal. That year, only three high schools had more applicants than seats.

Last summer, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, in Boston, upheld a voluntary integration plan used by the Lynn, Mass., school district. (鈥淔ederal Appeals Court Upholds Use of Race by Lynn, Mass., 69传媒,鈥 June 17, 2005.)

A version of this article appeared in the October 26, 2005 edition of Education Week

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Law & Courts The Uncertainty Ahead for Title IX and Transgender 69传媒 in Trump's New Term
Trump may not be able to withdraw the Title IX rule on "Day 1," but advocates on both sides expect it to go away.
7 min read
Marshall University students hold a protest to voice concerns over the handling of Title IX-related issues at the university on Nov. 18, 2022, in Huntington, W.Va.
Marshall University students hold a protest to voice concerns over the handling of Title IX-related issues at the university on Nov. 18, 2022, in Huntington, W.Va.
Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP
Law & Courts Ten Commandments Law for Public 69传媒 Is 'Impermissible,' Judge Rules
The Louisiana law would require displays of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.
4 min read
Photo of Ten Commandments poster on school wall.
Getty
Law & Courts Supreme Court Weighs High-Stakes Fraud Issue for E-Rate Program
The justices appear to lean toward a ruling that could help keep schools from being overcharged by telecommunications companies.
8 min read
Image of students working on a computer.
Carlos Barquero Perez/iStock/Getty
Law & Courts Court Battles and Presidential Election Have Big Implications for Title IX Regulation
A federal appeals court heard arguments about whether some provisions of the Title IX regulation should be allowed to go into wider effect.
4 min read
Image of a gavel
iStock/Getty