Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a Policy for Progress webinar titled 'A Conversation for Progress: Perspectives on School Segregation' which featured panelists discussing the segregation in Massachusetts public schools. In large part, the conversation centered on this Fault Lines report on attitudes and perceptions of segregation in the state. Interestingly, according to the report, Massachusetts voters perceived school segregation to be a bigger problem nationwide compared to the state (26% versus 14%). Additionally, nearly half of Massachusetts voters believe that the state's school's have become less segregated in the last 50 years.
The report goes on to compare the disparities in five neighboring communities including Worcester-Shrewsbury and Lawrence-Andover. In looking at the city of Lynn and some surrounding communities, one can similar disparities as those noted in the Fault Lines report.
Per the most updated data reported by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the percentage of non-white students (including multi-racial students) in Lynn this school year was 86.9% compared to a range of 13.6% - 57.4% in neighboring communities. Just over two-thirds of the student population in Lynn is Hispanic.
While Lynn has had a much higher non-white student population for at least the last 27 years (see below), even with a growing a non-white student population in surrounding communities, Lynn's non-white student population continues to be significantly higher than towns like Marblehead and Swampscott.
Even within Lynn, there is evidence of segregation. For example, 44.2% of white students enrolled at Breed, Marshall and Pickering Middle Schools attend Pickering Middle School; the other 55.8% are split between Breed and Marshall Middle Schools.
In looking at other selected populations, Lynn also has a much higher percentage of students whose first language is not English and who are English Language Learners and 'economically disadvantaged'.
All data taken from: www.doe.mass.edu
