Decades after Brown v. Board, the Commonwealth’s schools remain heavily segregated, and zip code still often determines the quality of a student’s education.
Schools remain segregated, despite public opinion to the contrary
The results of two polls of Massachusetts voters that we conducted in 2019 and 2020 show substantial and growing public willingness to take action for racial equity—but also a deep misunderstanding about Massachusetts’ continued struggles with segregation.
Case studies of school segregation:
Five pairs of neighboring cities
Click the city/town pairs below to learn about their specific disparities
Boston & Needham
In the neighboring districts of Boston and Needham, a distance of less than five miles separates two very different bodies. In Boston, students of color make up the majority of students, as do economically disadvantaged students. In Needham, by contrast, white students make up a large majority, and the proportion of economically disadvantaged students is much smaller. It takes only 10 minutes to drive from Needham’s Hersey MBTA station to the nearest Boston Public Schools elementary school. Needham offers more high-quality schools, higher graduation rates, and better test scores across racial subgroups. Importantly, though, students of color within Needham also face disparities.
*First language not English
**English Language Learner
