The Howard County Public School System in Maryland appears to have a policy that allows school redistricting based on race and ethnicity.

The stated purpose of the policy is: “to define the conditions and process by which school attendance area adjustments will be developed and adopted.” The policy was originally enacted in 2004, but the current governing version took effect on February 10, 2022.

The policy states that the school board recognizes “that school openings, closings, additions, program changes, population growth and other demographic changes may require adjustments to school attendance areas” and recognizes “the value of diverse and inclusive school populations when establishing attendance areas.”

One part of the policy states that attendance area adjustment plans are to be evaluated analytically, based on certain factors, including: “Demographic Characteristics of Student Population.”

“Where reasonable, school attendance areas should promote the creation of a diverse and inclusive student body at both the sending and receiving schools through the consideration of”:

• The racial/ethnic composition of the student population.

• Socioeconomic composition of each school’s student population.

• Academic performance of students in both the sending and receiving schools.

• Distribution of English language learners.

• Number of students reassigned, taking into account the correlation between the number of students reassigned, the outcomes of other standards achieved in Section III.B. and the length of time those results are expected to be maintained.

• Other reliable demographic indicators.