Educational disparities in ROCHESTER

BY OLIVIA FRIES

It is 68 years after Brown v Board of Education, and the institution trusted to raise the next generation of Americans is stuck in its shameful past. Segregated schools are unfortunately commonplace in the United States, with Monroe County being one of its worst offenders. In fact, the divide between the City of Rochester and the suburban town of Penfield is ranked amongst the most economically segregated school district borders in the nation (1). While the practice of sending children to a zip code-determined school district may appear to be an adequate system, further investigation reveals the truth local leaders need to hear: separate but equal is not equal.

Disparities between district borders did not occur overnight, and considering Rochester’s long history of discrimination, these inequalities have been close to a century in the making. In 1934, the federal government introduced the racist practice of redlining to Rochester. In short, redlining denied much-needed mortgages to people of color in “hazardous” urban areas, and provided aid only to suburban neighborhoods which often barred people of color from owning property.

The effects of redlining are deeply ingrained in modern Rochester culture. The disinvestment in the city has caused a cycle of financial stagnancy and lack of community development compared to its flourishing suburbs. In addition, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) housing map has determined much of the race-distribution visible in the Greater Rochester Area today; people of color still dominate the heart of Rochester, while whites remain in the suburbs.

Comparing Rochester City School District (RCSD) and Penfield Central School District (PCSD) reveals that this county-wide segregation does translate into the classroom. In terms of race-distribution, the RCSD population (2) is around 53% Black and 33% Latino; meanwhile, PCSD is 82% white. The distribution of poverty between schools also contrasts as 85% of the RCSD student body qualifies for free or reduced cost lunch versus just 19% of PCSD students (3).

Unsurprisingly, the schools serving majoritystudents of color are falling behind. PCSD has an attendance rate of 96%, and suspension rate of 1% (4), while RCSD has an 87% attendance rate and 8% suspension rate (5). In addition, Regents exam scores reveal that just over 20% of students in RCSD are proficient in reading and math (6), compared to 69% and 80% (respectively) of their PCSD counterparts (7). Future prospects in Rochester are also not superb, as only 59% of RCSD high school students leave with a diploma (6).

Thus, integrating Rochester schools, and breaking the oppressive cycle established by 1930’s discriminatory policy, must be a top priority to ensure a prosperous future for the entire Monroe County community. •

1. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/08/24/ rochester-school-segregation-edbuild/89252112/

2. https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/new-york/districts/rochestercity-school-district-102155

3. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/ districts/penfield-central-school-district/penfield-senior-highschool-13965

4. https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000034104

5. https://data.nysed.gov/studenteducator. php?year=2018&instid=800000050065

6. https://www.niche.com/k12/d/rochester-city-school-district-ny/

7. https://www.niche.com/k12/d/penfield-central-school-district-ny/