Fairfax County Public Schools requests stay of court ruling against Thomas Jefferson High admissions system

“Failure to grant this [stay] would result in uncertainty and distress to the present applicant pool” of about 2,500 students, Pekarsky mentioned. “In addition, failure to grant this would bring about considerable operational disruptions for TJ forward of the future college 12 months, such as employing choices, system picks, teaching assignments and the development of curriculum.”

Hilton dominated last 7 days that the admissions process for TJ discriminates from Asian American candidates — and constitutes an unlawful act of “racial balancing” — and declared that the program ought to close straight away. He issued the opinion to come to a decision a mum or dad-introduced lawsuit that alleged the present TJ admissions method unlawfully discriminates towards Asian Individuals a conclusion Hilton supported in his ruling.

Fairfax faculty officials had revised the admissions technique for TJ in 2020 by doing away with a notoriously difficult check and a $100 software fee. The university is frequently ranked the top large faculty in the country and is hugely sought following in the D.C. spot.

In substitution, the Fairfax superintendent proposed — and the university board authorized — a “holistic review” admissions approach that will take into account 4 college student “experience components,” including socioeconomic standing, disability standing, whether or not the applicant speaks English as a 1st language and regardless of whether the applicant graduated from a center school that has historically despatched handful of college students to TJ.

The revisions had been meant to improve range at the university, which has lengthy enrolled single-digit percentages of Black and Hispanic college students. In June 2021, the 1st yr the admissions modifications took influence, TJ admitted a course of freshmen that was more assorted than any other in new memory.

The TJ Course of 2025 has much more Black, Hispanic and reduced-revenue learners than prior lessons. But it has much less Asian American learners: The proportion of Asian admits dropped from the 70 percent found in latest classes to about 50 % of the freshmen who gained provides.

The revisions to the admissions process have drawn criticism due to the fact inception, with some dad and mom, learners and alumni asserting the university technique is discriminating from Asian Individuals. The variations have so much drawn two lawsuits alleging racism in opposition to Asian Us residents — together with the match in which Hilton dominated last 7 days, which was brought by parent and alumni team, the Coalition for TJ.

Shortly after Hilton’s ruling, Fairfax division counsel John Foster said the university district is taking into consideration desirable Hilton’s decision, a stance Pekarsky reiterated Friday.

Pekarsky mentioned Fairfax “believes the ruling is not supported by legislation and is considering all solutions around an attraction. … Fairfax believes that our new application course of action will eventually be established to meet all lawful prerequisites.”