The non-profit, Children at Risk, says the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how some minority groups are struggling to make sure kids are receiving a quality education.
Children at Risk is an advocacy group based in Houston that uses research to try to effect change with state legislatures.
The group says 12% of kids from low-income households did "little or no" classwork when schools moved online this spring.
"COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our schools, and the inequity is growing when we talk about the pandemic," says Children at Risk President Bob Sanborn.
Sanborn says minority students are least likely to have access to broadband internet or a tablet to connect for online classes. He says COVID-19 has accelerated a trend that sees schools becoming "re-segregated," where students from minority families have fewer opportunities.
Sanborn says White students are likely to come from wealthier areas where schools receive more money.
"The way we're funding our schools right now means we're focusing on the basic needs of education," he says. "We need to be looking at the big picture of how these are economic development plans, how this is the future."
Fort Worth ISD Trustee Cinto Ramos says schools are also becoming re-segregated as more families with higher incomes move kids to charter schools.
"The pulling of children who have privileges and opportunities, I'm not saying I'm against any one of these, but I'm just trying to say if you notice the patterns, this is how this happens," he says.
Ramos and Sanborn say shifting to single-member districts and away from at-large elections for school boards can help alleviate some of the issues.
Sanborn cited a poll showing four out of five parents nationwide say they want their kids at a racially diverse school. He says unequal funding can also lead to higher drop-out rates and lower lifetime earning.
"These are parents, these are families who desperately want good education, but they need our help to figure this out," he says. "And they need funding. We need funding to make sure we're giving kids access to online learning."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has received more than a million tablets and WiFi hotspots to distribute to low income families. The tablets and hotspots are part of the state's "Operation Connectivity" initiative, which is using $200 million from the CARES Act to pay for the devices.
"Securing personal devices and WiFi hotspots will help meet the connectivity needs of students across the state. As school districts delay in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year, it is critical that the State of Texas close the digital divide and ensure access to virtual education for students who are learning at home," Abbott wrote in a statement.