Neighborhood Schools Again?

Abstract

As court-ordered busing for school desegregation comes to an end, school boards are faced with strong public pressures to return to neighborhood schools. Analysis of public opinion data from Nashville, Tennessee, indicates a division between two broad constituencies. Individuals who favor neighborhood schools are drawn from those with traditional religious values: They support school prayer and creationism but abhor diversity in schools. Those who reject neighborhood schools and prefer better academic programs at schools farther away tend to be those of childbearing age but without children, those with children already in public schools, and those who are better educated. Surprisingly, race and racial attitudes are not significantly related to a preference for neighborhood schools. The authors conclude that the dynamics of educational policy in Nashville have undergone a significant transformation: Previous Black-White struggles have been replaced by shifting coalitions that extend across racial lines.