Supreme Court to Review Maryland School Admissions Policy

October 20, 2026 - 00:44

The Supreme Court will hear oral argument early next year in Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board of Education, a challenge to the process that a Maryland county uses to determine admissions at its magnet schools.

The case centers on a policy adopted by Montgomery County in 2020 that changed how students are selected for competitive magnet programs. The school system replaced a test based system with a lottery that considers factors including socioeconomic status and whether a student attends a school with high poverty rates. Officials said the change was meant to broaden access and increase diversity in the programs.

A group of parents sued, arguing that the new process discriminates on the basis of race and penalizes Asian American students who had previously gained admission at high rates under the old system. Lower courts ruled against the parents, finding that the policy is race neutral on its face and serves a legitimate government interest.

The justices agreed to take up the dispute after several similar challenges to race conscious admissions policies have reached the court in recent years. The outcome could clarify how far school districts may go in using facially neutral criteria that produce racially disparate results. Arguments are expected to draw wide attention from educators and legal scholars.