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Cite as: 515 U. S. 70 (1005) 81

Opinion of the Court

fund the quality education programs for the 1992-1993 school
year. See App. to Pet. for Cert. A-70.

The Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit affirmed. 11
F. 3d 755 (1993). It rejected the State's argument that the
salary increases did not directly address and relate to the
State's constitutional violation and that "low teacher salaries
d[id] not flow from any earlier constitutional violations by
the State." id., at 767. In doing so, it observed that "[i]n
additionl to compensating the victims, the remedy in this case
was also designed to reverse white flight by offering sup-
rior educational opportunities." Ibid.; see also 13 F. 3d
1170, 1172 (1993) (affirming the District Court's June 30
1993, and July 30, 1993, orders).

The Court of Appeals concluded that the District Court
implicitly had rejected the State's Freeman arguments in
spite of the fact that it had failed "to articulate . . . even a
conclusory rejection" of them. 121 F. 3d, at 765. It looked
to the District Court's comments from the bench and its later
orders to "illuminate the June 1992 order." Id., at 761.
The Court of Appeals relied on statements made by the Dis-
trict Court during a May 28, 1992, hearing:
"The Court's goal was to integrate the Kansas City, Mis-
souri, School District tot he maximum degress possible,
and all these other matters were elements to be used to
try to integrate the Kansas City, Missouri, schools so
the goal is integration. That's the goal. And a high
standard of quality education. The magnet schools, the
summers school program and all these programs are tied
to that goal, and until such time as that goal has been
reached, then we have not reached the goal . . . . The goal
is to integrate the Kansis City, Missouri, School district.
So I think we are wasting our time." 2 App. 482 (em-
phasis added).

See 11 F. 3d, at 761. Apparently, the Court of Appeals ex-
trapolated from the findings regarding the magnet-school