In the county I live in, if another school provides resources you cannot get at your assigned school, you may be able to get into that other school. So there are options for some, depending on where you live.
But more importantly, poorly performing schools need to be identified and fixed. If they can't be, then it needs to be obvious that they are not able to prepare students for elite education.
It is not right for only those from wealthy families to be the only ones that can be adequately prepared, because they can go to prep schools and train for and retake standardized tests.
There are structural barriers (e.g., the ability to request a different school) and institutional barriers (e.g., the willingness or resources needed to overcome structural barriers).
I think most districts in the U.S. have similar processes to attend an alternate school, but barriers remain high in low-income areas, ranging from stigma to logistics (e.g., transportation to a more distant school). Even when structures are in place, the ability to attend a different school is a stretch for some.
But more importantly, poorly performing schools need to be identified and fixed. If they can't be, then it needs to be obvious that they are not able to prepare students for elite education.
It is not right for only those from wealthy families to be the only ones that can be adequately prepared, because they can go to prep schools and train for and retake standardized tests.