There's a new interactive map at EdBuild (a national non-profit organization concerned with funding inequities in public education) that points out how school district boundaries are "artificial, arbitrary and unnecessary barriers" to opportunity. That's important because the Supreme Court recently upheld "disparate impact" (policies that segregate the poor into specific neighborhoods, even if unintentionally) as a problem under the Fair Housing Act. The map shows the student poverty rate in the San Juan Unified School District (serving Arden Arcade) to be 21.5%. That's better than the rates in neighboring Twin Rivers (34.3%), Robla (33.8%) or Sacramento City USD (31.5%). But it is worse than the rates in neighboring/nearby Eureka Union ESD (5.4%), Roseville City ESD (8.1%), Dry Creek Joint ESD (10.4%), Folsom-Cordova USD (14.5%), Elverta Joint ESD (15.9%), Natomas (17%), Elk Grove USD (19.5%), and Center Joint USD (20.1%). Back in the day, San Juan was the happening school district, the one parents wanted their kids to attend. Perhaps that's no longer the case.

It's too bad the map doesn't break down the data within school districts. If so, it would likely show that the parts of the district with the highest poverty levels are also where Sacramento County has decided to put low-income housing. For more information on disparate income and schools read this. Then think about where the kids who will live in the Anton Arcade apartments will go to school (Hint: It's not Cottage Montessori, which serves the entire district and has a waiting list.)