It explores the relationship between
racial and economic
segregation, and discusses the implications of these
trends and the possible policy alternatives.
The
trend of increasing
racial and economic
segregation is a nationwide
trend — not just in Alabama and other Southern states.55 The South, however, was the only region in the country to see a net increase in private school enrollment between 1960 and 2000, and where private school enrollment is higher, support for spending in public schools tends to be lower.56 A growing body of rigorous research shows that money absolutely matters for public schools, especially for the students from low - income families who attend them.57 What's more, private schools in the South tend to have the largest overrepresentation of white students.58 In fact, research has shown that the strongest predictor of white private school enrollment is the proportion of black students in the local public schools.59