The geography of public-private school choice and race: A case study of Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee counties, South Carolina.

摘要

This thesis analyzes the geography and history of public-private school choice, with particular concern to race, in a historically significant area where the first legal steps were taken to end segregation in public schools. The purpose is to identify how legacies of segregation have affected and continue to affect public-private school choice in area high schools today, examine which socioeconomic factors appear to most affect this choice, and determine the extent to which public schools in the study area reflect the racial demographic characteristics of their surrounding communities. To accomplish this, inquiry into the history of school segregation in the South, the emergence of private "segregation academies" during the era of integration, as well as contemporary trends in school choice are explored. Racial enrollment statistics from public and private schools are also compared to that of their attendance zones and surrounding areas.;This research found that legacies of segregation likely continue to influence public-private school choice today, and that race and income also appear to be the socioeconomic factors that most affect whether families in the study area choose public or private school for their high school-aged children. It was also found that a significant disparity exists in the study area when comparing the racial demographic composition of private schools, public schools, and their surrounding communities.