Concepts and methods of geography are applied to the study of school desegregation in this paper. Beginning with a spatial/temporal view of desegregation, the key legal events which have charted the course of desegregation are reviewed, and geographic patterns over time are examined. This discussion is followed by an investigation of the determinants of these patterns, especially in the southern United States. Desegregation is viewed as a spatial diffusion process in which certain factors have strengthened white resistance, thereby functioning as barriers to the diffusion. Brief case studies of the desegregation and busing experiences in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, Pontiac, Michigan, and Boston, Massachusetts are presented. The case studies are followed by an examination of the relationships between urban spatial organization, particularly residential segregation, and the school desegregation issue. Desegregation techniques are reviewed, including the applicability of spatial allocation models in the design of school integration plans. In conclusion, some far reaching political and demographic impacts of desegregation and busing are examined. Suggestions are offered for using this paper in geography or social studies classrooms. (Author/GC)