Fairfax County’s nationally ranked magnet school inducted another class of students dominated by whites and Asians, while just 4 percent of students are black or Hispanic. Black and Hispanic students were also underrepresented in the pool of applicants to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — 13.5 percent of applicants, despite making up 28.2 percent of the public school system’s middle school students.

Fairfax County Public Schools has been fighting to close a persistent achievement gap between its black and Hispanic students and their white and Asian peers, who typically score higher on standardized tests and post higher graduation rates.