Justice Department settles with Jersey City school over admissions quotas

The Justice Department reached a settlement with Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School in Jersey City that will end a quota-based admissions system built around students’ racial self-identification. The deal requires the district to replace the policy before the 2027-2028 school year.

McNair, a competitive college preparatory magnet school in Jersey City Public Schools, had set aside seats in four categories labeled Black, White, Hispanic and Other. Applicants identified themselves, the school filled an equal number of seats in each category, and only then did it assign the remaining seats without regard to race or national origin. That structure ran afoul of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin.

The settlement also requires the district to train staff on nondiscriminatory admissions and file status reports with the department through Aug. 15, 2029. Unless the parties agree to extend or change it, the settlement will remain in effect until that date. On July 30, 2025, the department warned recipients of federal funds that DEI programs could violate federal antidiscrimination laws and carry the risk of grant revocation.

U.S. News & World Report ranks McNair fourth in New Jersey, says 81% of its students are minorities and 34% are economically disadvantaged, and lists a 96% AP participation rate. McNair is one of eight high schools in Jersey City Public Schools, and its mission statement describes a challenging college preparatory curriculum in an ethnically and racially diverse environment.

The Jersey City Board of Education had already moved in June 2021 to review and change admissions policies for McNair and Infinity Institute beginning with the class of 2026.