Philly settles magnet school admissions suit, but legal questions remain
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Philadelphia school district's headquarters on N. Broad Street. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
A closely watched legal challenge to the Philly school district's high school admissions policy ended this week in a $650,000 settlement.
Why it matters: The agreement leaves the district's policy intact, meaning the constitutional questions at the center of the case could resurface in future lawsuits.
State of play: A federal judge approved the settlement Tuesday between the district and three families, ending the yearslong lawsuit.
- The families will each receive $120,000, while their attorneys will receive the remaining $290,000 in legal fees, per court documents.
- The lawsuit was brought by parents whose children were denied admission to their preferred Philly magnet schools in 2022. They were represented by America First Legal, a conservative legal group co-founded by President Trump's top adviser Stephen Miller.
Catch up quick: The case challenged the district's 2021 overhaul of its special admissions process for magnet schools, which put in place a centralized lottery that gave preference to those in certain ZIP codes.
- Board of Education officials said the changes were intended to "dismantle racist practices" by increasing enrollment of Black and Latino students, who had been significantly underrepresented at many of the schools.
Yes, but: The overhaul — and subsequent changes — have frustrated many parents and students while creating new challenges, including enrollment declines at some magnet schools.
What they're saying: Attorney Gene Hamilton — whose firm, America First Legal, represented the families — said in a statement that the Philly school district "tried to use ZIP codes as a racial proxy to rig admissions at its best public schools."
The other side: District spokespersons Monique Braxton and Naima DeBrest declined comment about whether the district will make changes to the policy going forward.
- DeBrest said the district is focused on providing every student with access to a high-quality school.
The intrigue: The settlement leaves unresolved whether the district's admissions policy is unconstitutional.
Nick Barry, another attorney at America First Legal, said in a statement that an earlier federal appeals court ruling that revived the case could serve as a "powerful weapon against school districts and government officials" that "discriminate on the basis of race."