The number of black and Latino students admitted to some of New York City’s most selective schools fell sharply over the past year.

The findings come as part of a report released by the Department of Education. 

From Chalkbeat: 

Of the 5,229 students accepted to the city’s eight specialized high schools this year, 618 were black or Hispanic, according to data the Department of Education released today, the day that eighth-graders learned their high school placement. Last year, the schools accepted 733 black and Hispanic students, more than in the recent past.

The sharpest declines came at the city’s most selective schools. Out of 963 students accepted to ultra-elite Stuyvesant High School, just nine are black and 24 are Hispanic. Last year, the school accepted 51 black and Hispanic students. At Brooklyn Technical High School, the largest of the specialized schools, the number of black and Hispanic students accepted fell by 22 percent.

Read more at Chalkbeat

Overall, black and Latino students received 12 percent of specialized high school invitations, down from 14 percent last year. They made up 45 percent of test-takers and roughly 71 percent of students citywide.

The admissions process has been consistently defended by city officials, which would require legislative approval to change.

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