Supreme Court to hear a new case on race and school admissions, this time in Maryland

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a new challenge to school admissions policies aimed at fostering diversity, taking up a case targeting a lottery-based process for magnet programs in a Maryland county.The court agreed to take up an appeal brought by the Association for Education Fairness seeking to revive a lawsuit it filed against the Montgomery County Board of Education.Montgomery County is a large and diverse county in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.The challengers argue that a policy in Montgomery County's STEM magnet schools unfairly elevates Black and Latino students for admission in violation of the 14th Amendment.

In 2023, the Supreme Court cited the same amendment in striking down the use of race in college admissions.But this case is narrower, asking the justices to decide a more technical question of what evidence challengers need to bring such a claim, so the court is not poised to issue a ruling on the constitutional issue.The policy in question concerns a group of four magnet schools that specialize in science, technology and math, or STEM.The current program is entered via lottery, a system introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challengers have targeted that process, as well as one first introduced in 2017 (which has been discontinued) that sought to increase enrollment of children in low-poverty areas.That program, sparked by a report that said Black and Latino students were underrepresented and Asian students overrepresented in the middle school magnet programs in Montgomery County schools, included outreach to students and a cognitive test.The plaintiffs say both programs were explicitly aimed at increasing Black and Latino enrollment, thereby violating the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSTo save money, stop being a loyal customerFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe little-known deals that helped Flock cameras spread across AmericaFOR SUBSCRIBERSOne poll, multiple outcomes: Why election surveys come wit...