  - [Reporter] If
  you were a student
 at Ranier Beach High School,
you might think Seattle
is pretty diverse.
13 miles north, however,
 Ballard High School
 looks very different.
 And, actually, neither
 school accurately represents
the makeup of
Seattle's student body.
  These two schools
  look so different,
because Seattle's neighborhoods
 were historically segregated.
In 1978, the city tried
to fixed the problem
 with The Seattle Plan, which
 aimed to desegregate schools
 by busing kids outside
 their neighborhood.
 But, data suggested
 the program mostly
 inspired white flight,
  and enrollment in
  private schools.
  It ended in 1997.
Recently, Seattle neighborhoods
  have actually been
  desegregating,
  but the same time,
 schools are re-segregating.
  So, why is this happening?
  Advantaged families are
  moving out to the suburbs.
 They are increasingly
 enrolling their kids
 in private or charter schools,
  or they're savvy enough to
  apply for School Choice.
This program lets students apply
to public schools
outside their zip code.
  It was meant to make
  quality schools accessible
 to students in
 high poverty areas,
but it's disproportionately used
 by families of higher
 socio-economic status.
 Those most affected are
 attending highly segregated,
 low-income schools, which
 tend to have poorer outcomes.
  This impacts students
  future earning potential,
  continuing the
  cycle of inequity.
 On the other hand, exposure
 to a diverse student body
  has been shown to
  improve outcomes
for students of all backgrounds.
