Between 1970 and 1977, the proportion of black children in metropolitan areas increased in all regions except the Northeast, while in all regions but the West the white population declined. Although the thrust toward school desegregation since the landmark "Brown vs. Board of Education" decision of 1954 has tended to exacerbate white and/or middle-class flight from public city schools, the currently increasing number of working couples without children may translate into increasing demand for central-city residences and thus a partial restoration of the central city's tax base. The present trend toward state-aid school finance equalization formulas based on fiscal capacity will favor cities in some cases, the suburbs in others. Proposals to aid desegregation by equalizing racial proportions in all metropolitan schools or by offering parents tuition vouchers good for both public and private schools are not likely to succeed. Recently, middle-class blacks have migrated out of cities faster than middle-class whites; those remaining are likely to turn to private education. Although state funding reforms do not inevitably favor the central city, federal aid could affect interregional and interstate migration. Given current trends, however, federal school equalization aid will probably continue to decrease. (JBM)