Schools are “resegregating at an alarming rate” more than a half century since the Civil Rights Movement, Democrats warned Tuesday.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new study Tuesday that found racial isolation in public schools nearly doubled to 16 percent between 2000 and 2014.
The findings reveal that many African American and Hispanic students are stuck in low-income schools, where they enjoy fewer education opportunities.
“Our nation’s schools are, in fact, largely segregated by race and class,” Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said. “What’s more troubling, is that segregation in public schools is not getting better; it’s actually getting worse.”
Democrats are introducing legislation to slow the pace of resegregation.
The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act backed by Scott, Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) would require schools to hire a monitor to investigate discrimination complaints, among other things.