In its new term, the justices will review a challenge to a student-assignment policy adopted by the Seattle school board in 1997 to enhance racial diversity at its 10 high schools, including Ballard High, beginning in the 1998-99 school year. Under the policy, which has been suspended since 2002 pending the outcome of the legal challenge, students were allowed to choose a preferred high school. When a high school was oversubscribed, the policy first favored applicants who had a sibling already enrolled at the desired school. Then, if the high school had a minority population that deviated from the district average by more than 15 percent, it was required to enroll students whose race or ethnicity would bring the school closer the district average. In 2000, the race-conscious policy was challenged by several white families who lived near Ballard High but whose children were denied assignment to the then-new school. This article discusses student demographics in the student-assignment policy adopted by Seattle schools.