| On the last day of the 2006-2007 Supreme | | | | Chicago Schools may ask to have the decree |
| Court, Chief Justice John Roberts announced a | | | | dissolved but states "'the question is when". Rock |
| decision that will inevitably stir up diversity issues | | | | also said that the Supreme Court ruling only |
| within schools across the nation, and the Chicago | | | | affects how the Chicago Schools run their |
| Schools. It will most certainly change the way | | | | programs after the decree is dissolved. That may |
| most school systems, including those within the | | | | not be until the fall of 2008. This is when the |
| Chicago Schools, run their magnet programs. And | | | | application process will begin for the 2009 school |
| it will affect how they decide which students to | | | | year. In the meantime Chicago Schools' magnets |
| steer towards, and to accept into, each program. | | | | will continue to use the same criteria for |
| The decision decried racial balancing in schools | | | | admittance into the programs. |
| where race is used for magnet programs. Many | | | | Administrators say that Chicago Schools use race |
| of the magnets within the Chicago Schools use | | | | as a determining factor to keep schools racially |
| race as a factor in accepting students into their | | | | diverse. Not as a means to segregation. The |
| programs. There is one group of magnets in the | | | | Supreme Court ruling does not disallow the |
| Chicago Schools that selects students based | | | | Chicago Schools from using race. It simply states |
| completely on racially weighted lotteries. The | | | | that a valid and compelling reason must be given |
| students' applications are sorted according to race, | | | | for doing so. In the Chicago Schools these |
| and then drawn in lotteries. This is meant to | | | | reasons often include ensuring racial diversity in |
| achieve racial diversity. Acceptance into other | | | | the many areas where it doesn't exist. |
| magnet programs is based on grades, test | | | | Rock doesn't feel that the Chicago Schools will |
| scores, academic achievement, and extracurricular | | | | eliminate magnet programs in order to avoid |
| involvement. Race is used as a minimal | | | | litigation, however, there are those on the |
| determining factor. | | | | Supreme Court who feel that many school |
| Some administrators in the Chicago Schools fear | | | | systems nationwide may begin to dissolve their |
| that this threatens the legacy of Brown v. Board | | | | magnet programs to avoid litigation and its ensuing |
| of Education; the decision in which segregation | | | | costs. The Chicago Schools may choose to use |
| based on color was denounced. | | | | race as a way to determine where to build |
| Patrick Rock, the attorney for Chicago Schools, | | | | schools to ensure this diversity, how to fund |
| stated that the decision will only affect Chicago | | | | schools in certain areas, and which programs to |
| Schools if and when a federal justice agrees to | | | | steer students towards- based more on their |
| release them from a desegregation consent | | | | talents and achievements and not solely to fill a |
| decree which dates all the way back to 1980. He | | | | certain percentage of racial mix. |
| stated that at some point in the future the | | | | |