ABSTRACT
In 1909, Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) decreed the separate-but-equal segregation of Black students in its schools, subsequently opening Dunbar, a school for African American students. Consistent with national trends, TUSD Latino population has grown dramatically. In addition to ignoring the de facto forces that have shaped TUSD's demographics, the Court has failed to consider the role of Arizona policies that have undermined integration for Latinos. Given that socioeconomic status is perhaps the most egregious of all predictors of academic success and subsequent opportunity, it is necessary to consider its role in desegregation for TUSD. As the minority population in a particular area increases they either flee to suburban public schools when they can afford to do so or, as is the case of students living within TUSD boundaries, use open-enrollment policies to attend public schools in another district within the county.
