In this new Chalkbeat NYC article, I weigh in on the future of high school zone priorities in NYC. There aren't many left--only about 10% of students are admitted to zoned programs--but they remain important in a few parts of the city. Families like zone priorities at neighborhood schools, especially when those schools are high-quality (and overcrowded). At the same time, the vast majority of NYC is unzoned, and maintaining a handful of zones at select schools creates an uneven playing field.
The question also arises of how elimination of remaining zones would affect segregation. The answer is probably not much given their location--in harder-to-reach neighborhoods in Queens and S.I. But removal of zones would matter a lot for kids just outside their border.