Race-Blind Admissions, School Segregation, and Student Outcomes : Evidence from Race-Blind Magnet School Lotteries

In 2007, the Supreme Court declared race-conscious school admissions unconstitutional. This paper provides the first evaluation of a related federal mandate where a school district was forced to adopt a race-blind lottery system for its magnet schools. I explore the impact of the dramatic increase in racial segregation resulting from the mandate. More segregated schools spend less per-pupil, enroll lower achieving students, employ lower value-added teachers, and perpetuate ``white flight'' out of the district. Ultimately, segregation arising from mandated race-blind admissions causes student achievement and college attendance rates to decline