LCPS School Attendance Zones and Neighborhood Segregation

On May 17, 1954, The United States Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" public schools for Black students and White students were unconstitutional in the landmark case of Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka. This case was instrumental in paving the way for widespread desegregation efforts in public schools across the United States. Federal and state desegregation programs, especially prevalent in the South, used redistricting, redrawing school attendance boundaries, and busing to make schools more racially balanced. However, since the 1990s, when the Supreme Court began relaxing desegregation orders, there has been a growing trend of resegregation (racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic) in public schools across America. From 1991 to 2012, school segregation between eligible and ineligible students for free lunch i ncreased by over 40% .

Various factors contribute to school segregation in America today. The increase in charter and private schools, the drawing of school district boundaries and attendance zones (intentionally or unintentionally) to exclude certain groups, and rising income and housing inequality all impact schools' racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic balance.

Segregation is often measured by how closely a school mirrors the overall demographics of a school district. Observing Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) elementary school data from 2021, we see significant differences in students on free and reduced price lunch, a proxy measure for economically disadvantaged students in schools, suggesting there is segregation by economic status.

Research indicates that the higher the rate of poverty in a school, the more likely that the school will be comprised of students of color. In fact, in the United States 45% of African American and Latino students, and 41% of Native American  students attend a high poverty school  compared to only 15% of Asian students and 8% of White students. We see a similar trend in Las Cruces. There is a strong correlation between poverty and race; as the rate of economically disadvantaged students increases in schools, so does the percentage of students of color.

Neighborhood Poverty

The following map demonstrates a pattern of concentrated neighborhood poverty. Neighborhood poverty often spills over into neighborhood schools unless boundaries are drawn to integrate students intentionally, or other measures are taken to integrate students.

 _{Click on the map to explore the data, and use your mouse or the navigator buttons to zoom in and out of the map.}  

Patterns of Child Abuse

This map explores patterns of child abuse. There is a rate of 91 victims aged 0-4 years per 1,000 children in the central parts of Las Cruces, compared to approximately 11 victims per 1,000 children in the neighborhoods northeast of downtown (Desert Hills and Sonoma Ranch school zones).

 _{Click on the map to explore the data, and use your mouse or the navigator buttons to zoom in and out of the map.}  

Drug Overdose Deaths

Drug overdose deaths are mostly concentrated in the central part of Las Cruces, with a rate of 48.8 victims, compared to a rate of 13 in the neighborhoods northeast of downtown (Desert Hills and Sonoma Ranch school zones).

 _{Click on the map to explore the data, and use your mouse or the navigator buttons to zoom in and out of the map.}   

Eviction Rates

Before the pandemic, thousands of New Mexicans were evicted each year. Although the eviction moratorium dramatically reduced the number of families evicted from their homes, in March 2020, there were  938 eviction filings across the state , and 59  occurred in Doña Ana County. This map shows evictions are most prevalent in the central neighborhoods in Las Cruces and the southern census tracts of the city.  ^{Click on the map to explore the data, and use your mouse or the navigator buttons to zoom in and out of the map.} 

Research shows that high-poverty schools often have greater financial needs (more students needing special education services and an increased need for support services such as social work, counseling, and school-based health services), causing an undue burden on schools. Segregation by income is especially problematic because it often leaves students of color anchored to high-poverty, low-performing schools. There are numerous benefits to having diverse schools; higher graduation rates, test scores, and college participation rates. Beyond academics, there are also cognitive benefits for children; a decrease in stereotyping and an increase in thinking critically and collaborating with others. School districts can do their part by carefully considering neighborhood demographics when drawing school attendance boundaries.

"Housing policy is school policy." ~David Rusk

However, school districts are not solely responsible for school integration and cannot tackle this alone. Parents and community members can participate in the rezoning process as new schools enter the district. They can also support integrated and diverse schools and neighborhoods. Lastly, our city and business leaders can implement inclusionary housing policies and address income and housing inequality. Education is a shared responsibility that requires a multifaceted and united approach to create change.