Childhood Educational Disruption and Later Life Outcomes Evidence from Prince Edward County

Beginning in 1959 the public schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia, were closed for 5 years in opposition to court-ordered integration. I combine data from numerous administrative sources to examine the effects of the school closings on the educational attainment and economic outcomes of affected black children. Although exposed students obtained an average of 1 fewer year of schooling than peers in surrounding counties, they do not exhibit substantially worse material, health, and incarceration outcomes. These findings may result from (1) the provision of substitute educational opportunities for many students and (2) flat returns at levels of educational attainment typical for southern Virginia blacks during this period.