Story perspectives

Supreme Court to Review Montgomery’s Lottery-Based School Admissions Plan

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board.
The suit challenges Montgomery County’s lottery-based “Pandemic Plan” admissions for four selective magnet middle schools.
Asian American parents claim the policy uses socioeconomic proxies to lower Asian enrollment and favor Black and Latino students.
The Court will limit review to proving disparate impact, hear arguments next term, and decide by June 2027.

History

Historical Context

The 1978 Supreme Court decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke struck down racial quotas—UC Davis had reserved 16 of 100 seats for minorities—while allowing limited race-consideration. That precedent, altered by the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions ruling that ended race-based admissions, underlies the Association for Education Fairness’s challenge to Montgomery County’s lottery “Pandemic Plan” accused of suppressing Asian enrollment.

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Story summary

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board.
The suit challenges Montgomery County’s lottery-based “Pandemic Plan” admissions for four selective magnet middle schools.
Asian American parents claim the policy uses socioeconomic proxies to lower Asian enrollment and favor Black and Latino students.
The Court will limit review to proving disparate impact, hear arguments next term, and decide by June 2027.

1 / 2