How New York’s educational redlining blocks middle-class and lower-income kids from accessing the best public schools in their own backyards

New York is a paradox.

The state’s voters routinely elect some of the country’s most progressive political figures. And the teachers’ unions, vocal advocates for anti-racism and equity, have an outsized influence over education policy at both the state and local levels.

But despite its progressive reputation, New York public schools tell a different story. UCLA scholar Gary Orfield, one of the nation’s leading experts on school segregation, says New York is the “epicenter of educational segregation in the nation.”

“We have the most segregated public school system in America.”
—New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani 

So how does a state that prides itself on progressive values end up with some of the most unequal public schools?

The answer lies in New York’s enrollment laws. New York has one of the strictest systems of residential assignment in the country.  Because children are assigned to public schools based on their address, attendance boundaries have become a powerful driver of inequality. Our latest report reveals how residential assignment perpetuates segregation and limits educational opportunity along lines of income and race. 

From upstate to New York City, we found that many coveted public schools are surrounded by attendance zones that closely mirror the redlining maps of the 1930s, both in shape and effect. We call it educational redlining.

Inequality and exclusion do not have to remain defining features of New York’s public education system. But urgent and meaningful change will require political leaders and policymakers to consider common-sense reforms that will open up the best public schools to more New York children.  

Read or download the full report below