Sorting kids into public schools based on household income is 'immoral, discriminatory,' says advocacy group

Over 30 organizations are crying foul over public school district boundaries, going as far as calling them "immoral."

The effort, led by Yes, Every Kid, galvanized the organizations to commit to "ending public school discrimination based on address."

"Public schools are assigned based on where a kid lives and, de facto, their family's wealth because education and the housing market are tied together. And so we think that's immoral. That's wrong," Yes, Every Kid Chief Operating Officer Er⁠i⁠ca Jedynak told Fox News Digital.

Most states restrict parents to schools within their zip code or the school district that presides over their residential area.

Over 30 organizations banded together to form the No More Lines Coalition, which highlights that the system of sorting kids into school districts based on their income promotes "segregation" and ensures that low-income households have fewer quality options.

Over 30 organizations are crying foul over public school district boundaries, going as far as calling them "immoral." (Fox News Digital)

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The No More Lines Coalition vows to end "discriminatory public school district boundary lines." 

Jedynak said that the quality of public schools is the only public good in America where it's dependent on where someone lives. 

"So that could be Newark, New Jersey. And the schools in Newark, New Jersey are very different than the suburbs," Jedynak said.

She added that people are not excluded from getting cancer treatment in public hospitals. 

"You can go into a public library anywhere in America and get knowledge. So public schools are really the only public good that are sorted this way. You can go to public parks, you can go to any public park. And we think that's wrong. Education is so important to a child's success, and we believe that children should have access to the public school that best meets their needs."

The solution they are touting is to pass open enrollment policies to give parents options on where to send their children to school. By 2030, the coalition vows to end such "restrictive practice" in all 50 states.

The No More Lines Coalition vows to end "discriminatory public school district boundary lines." Over 30 organizations decry public school district boundaries, calling them "immoral." (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

"We are planning to take steps to decriminalize address sharing. Twenty-four states still make it a crime to steal education and actually spend immorally law enforcement resources to crack down on parents." 

She went on to say, "And then we want to get rid of capacity restrictions. So many states are making movement towards open enrollment, like Arizona or even Idaho, where it's now illegal to discriminate based on ZIP code."  

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They argue further that the practice is "rooted in redlining practices of the 1930s to 1960s" where public school students were assigned to a school based on where they live. 

Such public school district boundary lines perpetuate "racial and economic divisions and prevent families from accessing the public school that best meets their children’s needs," the group argues. 

No More Lines Coalition added, "This issue is critical, as about 82% of American K-12 students attend public school today. Many states still have a policy in which a child attending any school is a criminal statute."

While all 50 states dictate the public school a child is assigned to based on their address, 24 states have policies that will imprison parents for crossing school or district boundary lines. 

Such public school district boundary lines perpetuate "racial and economic divisions and prevent families from accessing the public school that best meets their children’s needs," the No More Lines Coalition argues. 

The No More Lines Coalition said that some districts often "hire private investigators to follow parents to ensure that they meet the residency requirements." The coalition called the practice an "immoral use of taxpayer resources and disproportionately criminalize people of color and those from working-class backgrounds."

"We've also seen families be harassed by school districts, by private investigators," Jedynak said.

She went on to say, "I work with a parent. Her name is Kelly Williams Boler. She actually served prison time in Ohio for stealing education because she was sharing an address with a family member, and her father also went to prison."

Among the 36 organizations that joined the coalition is the American Federation For Children (AFC). AFC Senior Analyst Corey DeAngelis told Fox News Digital that "inequality is built into the current system."

"Some families have been fined or even sent to jail for lying about their address to get their kids into better 'public' schools. The schools aren't ‘public’ in any meaningful sense of the word," he added.

"Residential assignment leads to substantial monopoly power held by government schools. Imagine if you had to move residences any time you decided you wanted to shop at a new grocery store," he said.

DeAngelis went on to say, "The assigned grocery store, run by the government, would have little incentive to cater to your needs because moving is highly costly and time-consuming. The government grocery store would routinely provide rotten or expired food without consequences. So it goes with our assigned government school system."

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As the No More Lines Coalition vows to create public school access for all students regardless of their address, universal school choice made significant gains in 2023 when a wave of red states passed legislation.

School choice policies allow parents to send their kids to schools outside their neighborhood or opt out of going to the public school in their neighborhood. 

Nine states have passed universal school choice legislation so far, with Arizona leading the way in July 2022.