A nationwide study released by Brown’s Promise and The Segregation Tracking Project identified Connecticut as one of the most segregated states in the country. The study used data from the 2023-24 school year to measure both economic and racial segregation in each state.

Segregation Index

Connecticut’s racial segregation index of 0.42 indicates that, on average, white students attend schools 42% whiter than schools attended by non-white students. The state also ranked third-worst for “poverty packing,” the practice of cramming low-income students into specific districts while higher-income students attend school just across district lines.

According to the study, Connecticut in 2024 was more segregated than Alabama or Kansas. The numbers remain high despite a slight overall reduction in both racial and economic segregation in the state over the past decade.

Addressing Segregation

To address segregation, Connecticut has favored policies to promote voluntary integration, such as the landmark Sheff v. O’Neill case. However, the organization also acknowledges the drawbacks of Sheff: namely, that there aren’t enough seats for every student to attend the school of their choice, and that Hartford’s neighborhood schools remain severely under-resourced.

Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, said nothing in the report came as a surprise to him. “Living in Connecticut all my life, we already know … we have some of the most segregated schools in the country,” McCrory said.

Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Executive Director Fran Rabinowitz said she also wasn’t surprised about the results of the report. Part of the issue, she said, is that the state has a different school district for each town.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.