United States Supreme Court agrees to hear a challenge to a Maryland magnet school admissions policy

20 October 2026

The Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear a case brought by a group of parents organised as the Association for Education Fairness.
The case concerns four academically selective magnet schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington.
The admissions policy at issue was introduced in the 2021-2022 school year and is known as the Pandemic Plan.
Under it all students are screened for academic potential and a lottery then assigns students from that pool to magnet schools or to local schools with enriched instruction, with part of the screening comparing a student's test scores with those of students from families of similar income.
The parents argue that the screening makes it harder for Asian-American students to enter the lottery pool.
The school system says the policy is race-neutral and has called it colourblind.
Judge Paula Xinis of the United States District Court dismissed the suit in 2022, and the Supreme Court will consider whether the group has enough evidence of discrimination for the case to proceed, with arguments expected in the coming months and a ruling expected by June.