The Demographics of School District Secession.

This article examines school district secession in the United States from 2000 to 2019, analyzing how this political process relates to school segregation and inequality. Using national data, it finds that communities with higher educational attainment and favorable state legal provisions are more likely to attempt secession, which often results in new school districts that are less racially and economically diverse than their parent districts, particularly in the South. Secessions tend to produce school districts with higher shares of white and more affluent students, reinforcing racial and economic divides in both student and residential populations. The study highlights school district secession as a mechanism of social closure that perpetuates segregation by reshaping district boundaries and limiting integration efforts, with implications for educational equity and democratic ideals.