When Wake County school board member John Tedesco uses data to support his views, always question the claims he's making. He claimed that removing socioeconomic status considerations in magnet applications increased overall acceptances this past year. In fact, although this year there were 270 more acceptances than last year, approximately 300 were due to the N.C. State STEM magnet program opening and space created by node changes at two schools. Without these extra seats, magnet acceptances would have been lower than last year. And overall applications were down.
However, removing SES considerations did increase acceptances at a few schools. For example, 58 more students were accepted at Smith Elementary, a high-poverty, racially isolated magnet school that used to turn away magnet students that would make it even poorer and more racially isolated. Without a way to ensure that incoming magnet students increase SES diversity at Smith and other magnets, they may quickly become more high-poverty and racially isolated.
The real result of the end of the diversity policy is precisely what you would expect: more high-poverty schools. High-poverty schools are expensive. Let's see Tedesco step up and ask for more money to pay for them.
