San Mateo County, California — A CalMatters guest commentary argues that California’s voluntary school transfer programs have failed to address deeper school segregation while allowing wealthier districts to avoid boundary changes.
Vesta Kassayan, a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School, wrote that California has the most segregated school system in the continental United States, citing a UCLA Civil Rights Project report that found the share of intensely segregated schools has quadrupled over three decades. The commentary focuses on the Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Program, created after a 1986 education discrimination lawsuit settlement.
The program allows about 135 students of color each year from East Palo Alto’s Ravenswood City School District to transfer into wealthier neighboring districts. Kassayan wrote that more than 5,200 students have left Ravenswood through the program, while only two students have transferred in.
The piece argues that while some lottery winners benefit individually, the program does not change district boundaries, funding structures, or housing patterns. Kassayan cited Ravenswood’s declining enrollment and a district dashboard showing 92% of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
The commentary calls for California lawmakers to audit interdistrict transfer programs before renewing the District of Choice law, which is set to expire in 2028.
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