A small fraction of offers to New York City’s selective specialized high schools were given to Black and Latino students again underlining persistent racial disparities in the country’s biggest school system.

Black students — a larger share of whom sought admission to the schools for the upcoming year than the previous fall — comprised more than 20 percent of Specialized High School Admissions Test takers while receiving roughly three percent of offers, according to data released by the city Department of Education Wednesday.

Latino students also received disproportionately fewer offers than white or Asian students, making up more than 25 percent of SHSAT participants and just over five percent of offers.

{snip} Intense emotion and debate has swirled around the city’s eight specialized high schools for years, which are largely made up of white and Asian student populations. An attempt by former Mayor Bill de Blasio to reform the specialized admissions process was met with well-funded and well-organized resistance and was ultimately abandoned.

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Asian students made up 31 percent of test takers and more than 52 percent of offers. White students made up roughly 17 percent of those seeking entry to specialized high schools, and nearly 28 percent of offers. The breakdown of current SHSAT offers are similar to last year’s.

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