Understanding the Determinants of School District Secessions

Abstract

School district secession occurs when a community splits from an existing school district and creates a new district. While rare, secessions are increasing in number and relevance, and previous work has shown that secessions have contributed to the resegregation of American schools. We build on prior research by exploring how state policy and political, economic, and racial factors influence the likelihood of secession attempts. School districts with declining enrollments and a more racially segregated student body were more likely to experience a secession attempt; we also show that state policy can restrict secession attempts. Advocates for secession often use race-neutral arguments about attaining local control or correcting diseconomies of scale. Results, however, suggest that political and economic rationales are less predictive of secessions than racial segregation. We conclude that secessions exemplify institutional racism when the formation of new boundaries follows the lines of de facto segregation and thereby excludes people of color.