The impact of gentrification on K--12 student racial diversity: Perceptions, metrics, and advocacy

In this mixed methods study, the impact of gentrification on PreK-12 public school student diversity in a suburban jurisdiction in the mid-Atlantic United States was investigated. The motivation for the study was the perception that the redevelopment of garden apartment complexes (older, multifamily-housing complexes of four stories or less) resulted in the displacement of enrolled students of color. Using geographic information systems (GIS) technology to analyze redevelopment and student enrollment data yielded statistically significant correlations at the Census block group level. Block groups that experienced high amounts of garden apartment redevelopment also saw significant reductions in the total number of students and the number of non-White students over a 4-year period. A survey of 93 housing advocates, staff, and garden apartment residents revealed perceptions of gentrification in the study area, the perceived effects on student diversity, and attitudes toward potential advocacy in the realms of housing and student diversity on the part of the school system or County. Results showed that participants believed that gentrification was occurring in the study area. However, there were significant differences among groups as to whether gentrification was seen as a positive or negative phenomenon. Additionally, results suggested that participants saw a role for school systems in advocating for students in the areas of diversity and housing, realms not traditionally associated with education. Recommendations for practice and suggestions for further research are also presented.;KEY WORDS: Gentrification, K-12 education, public schools, housing, redevelopment, race, displacement, geographic information systems, social justice...