Casey Cobb, a professor at UConn’s Neag School of Education, has interviewed many families about what goes into them choosing whether to send their children to predominantly white suburban schools if they win the lottery.

“What we found was, yeah, race and socioeconomic status, that sort of diversity, does play a role in their decision making,” he said, pointing out that magnet schools are typically more diverse, and that was one of the reasons families tend to seek those schools.

The expansion of a program to allow urban students in Danbury and Norwalk to attend suburban schools in Fairfield County has met a variety of challenges as the wealthier surrounding towns debate whether to enroll the students. In 2021, the state legislature set aside $1.175 million over two years to expand Open Choice – a program that currently serves children in Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford – to include Danbury and Norwalk.