Decades after Brown v. Board of Education, Des Moines schools worries about segregation

70 years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that it was unconstitutional to separate children in public schools based on race.

• But around the country, American public schools are growing more separate and unequal.

Why it matters: Some education advocates say school segregation may further in Iowa, due to a 2021 law that loosened open enrollment rules.

Flashback: Before the passage of the 2021 law, Iowa allowed select school districts, including Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS), to deny open enrollment if the loss of the student would hurt the district's socioeconomic diversity.

State of play: Iowa's open enrollment patterns have shown that affluent, white families are the most likely to move their children out of urban areas and towards wealthier, suburban districts, says Margaret Buckton, executive director for the Urban Education Network, a nonprofit that represents Iowa's urban school districts.

• Though advocates of the law say low-income families also have "more choice than ever" of schools to send their children.

By the numbers: In the 2023-24 school year, 35% of students who left were white, followed by 12% Latino and 7% Black, according to DMPS. 39% did not provide information or were unidentified.

• Most losses were near school boundaries, like Beaverdale.
• Of nearly 31,000 students enrolled at DMPS this year, 33% identified as white, 31% Latino and 21% Black.

What they're saying: Losing a student to another district also changes how that family interacts with their community, Buckton says.

• Middle-class parents are more likely to donate resources or help volunteer at their kids' school, which helps all students there.

The other side: The open enrollment rules, as well as the new private school scholarship program, gives low-income families more choices and the best options for their kids, says Alan Ostergren, president of The Kirkwood Institute, a conservative public interest law firm.

• DMPS will be forced to change and adapt as a result of more competition, Ostergren says.
• Some DMPS students who were denied open enrollment wanted to leave because of bullying and anxiety from harassment, according to a WOI-TV report.

The bottom line: The country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever and integrated schools better help lower-income students. Students can be positively influenced by middle-class peers who may be more academically engaged and college-driven.

• Meanwhile, middle-class students also benefit from more economic and racial diversity, especially as future employers look for candidates who can get along with people of all backgrounds, NPR reports.