Are whites still fleeing? Racial patterns and enrollment shifts in urban public schools, 1987-1996

The effect of interracial contact in public schools on the enrollment of wh ites has been an important concern in assessments of desegregation since th e 1970s. It has been feared that " white flight" - meaning exit from or avo idance or racially mixed public schools - could undermine the racial contac t that desegregation policy seeks to enhance. This study examines this ques tion using recent data. It also expands coverage from large urban districts to entire metropolitan areas, paying attention to the spatial context with in which enrollment decisions are made. To do so, it examines data for 1987 and 1996 on racial composition and enrollment in all schools and school di stricts in 238 metropolitan areas. The study finds that white losses appear to be spurred both by interracial contact in districts where their childre n attend school and by the opportunities available in metropolitan areas fo r reducing that contact. These findings apply with remarkable consistency t o large and small districts in both large and small metropolitan areas. Imp lications for metropolitan segregation are examined. (C) 2001 by the Associ ation for Public Policy Analysis and Management.