D. A. Barber.

Although the number of Hispanic students attending college increased significantly in 2011, the question is how many will stay in school and graduate? Photo Credit: diverseeducation.com

A report from the Center for American Progress released August 22, 2012, indicates there are “lingering vestiges of racial inequality” in America’s schools when it comes to state and local education “per-pupil” spending on students of color.

Another report released August 20, 2012, by the Pew Hispanic Center says Hispanics are now “the largest minority group among the nation’s four-year colleges and university students,” reaching a record 16.5 percent of the total enrollment. Pew also found that “one-in-four public elementary school students are Hispanic.”

The Center for American Progress report, “Unequal Education: Federal Loophole Enables Lower Spending on Students of Color,” finds that almost 60 years after Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, the spending for students of color when compared to their white counterparts is $334 less. Schools with 90 percent whites spent $733 more per student than schools with 90 percent or more of nonwhite students. According to the report, “One of the more sobering findings of our report is that as the number of students of color goes up at a school, the amount of money spent on students goes down. An increase of 10 percent in students of color is associated with a decrease in spending of $75 per student.”

While nearly 40 percent of black and Hispanic students attend schools where more than 90 percent of students are nonwhite, the average white student attends schools where 77 percent are white. According to Pew, “The traditional explanation - that variation in schools’ per-pupil spending stems almost entirely from different property-tax bases between school districts — is inaccurate. In fact, approximately 40 percent of the variation in per-pupil spending occurs within school districts.”

This trend occurs in 24 states that educate 63 percent of all students of color. In 13 states, there was no correlation while 12 states showed an increase in per-pupil spending as the number of students of color increased. However, “only 12 percent of the nation’s students of color attend school in these states.” (New Jersey wasn’t included because its data included federal spending)

On the other hand, Texas and California serve 35 percent of the nation’s students of color. According to the report:

• “In California schools serving 90 percent or more nonwhite students, per-pupil spending is $191 less than all other schools and $4,380 less than schools serving 90 percent or more white students.
• In Texas, schools serving 90 percent or more nonwhite students, per-pupil spending is $514 less than all other schools and $911 less than schools serving 90 percent or more white students.”
  

  In 2010, this Texas elementary school boasted a 60 percent Hispanic enrollment. Photo Credit: multiamerican.scpr.org

Meanwhile, the Pew Hispanic Center report found that the number of Hispanics ages18 to 24 enrolled in college exceeded 2 million for the first time, with them making up 25.9 percent of students enrolled in two-year colleges, and a record 16.5 percent of all college and university enrollments. Also for the first time, 24.7 percent of elementary school students were Hispanic, reaching a record 23.9 percent of all pre-K through 12th grade public school students.

While population growth played a role in the jump in Hispanic student enrollment, it does not explain the bigger picture. According to Pew, 76.3 percent of all Hispanics ages 18 to 24 graduated with a high school diploma or GED in 2011, up from 72.8 percent in 2010, and a record 45.6 percent enrolled in two- or four-year colleges. To put this in perspective, Hispanics represent more than 50 million people - 16.5 percent of the population - making them now the nation’s largest minority group. Of the 30 million 18 to 24 year olds in the U.S., 20 percent (6 million) are Hispanics.

Article reprinted with permission from USAonRace.com

Feature Photo: Unequal educational spending for students of color -Photo Credit: chronicle.com