Making Schools of Choice Equitable or Inequitable? An Insight Into Rock Hill School District’s Schools of Choice Program

This research concerns the Rock Hill School District’s (RHSD) 2015-2016 Schools of Choice policy. The RHSD has long been at the forefront of progressive and extensive measures to achieve desegregation within the district. As compared to other districts within the state and the region, the RHSD has largely been responsible for desegregation efforts without the need of a court mandate. The district has taken upon itself great measures to involve the community and families in its many efforts to promote a diverse and first-class education system. This past fall and spring, the district made announcements of implementing changes to the existing Schools of Choice policy. Our research will attempt to unpack the reasoning behind the decisions made for the upcoming school year. Furthermore, we will attempt to explain the extent to which the school district has gone to ensure that these changes stick with the precedence of desegregation efforts. This will be done through the analysis of written plans, school board meetings, board votes, and interviews with board members and parents of students attending these schools