Study: Kids Do Worse in Schools Near Traffic

Moving to a school with higher levels of traffic pollution could impact students' academic performance, according to new research.

1 minute read

February 10, 2019, 11:00 AM PST

By Elana Eden


Porter Ranch

trekandshoot / Shutterstock

A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that when students switch to schools with higher levels of traffic pollution, they begin to experience lower test scores, more behavioral problems, and increased absences.

Reporting on the findings, CityLab's Nicole Javorsky notes that "more than 6 million children attend public school within 250 meters (820 feet) of a major roadway, and almost 20 percent of schools that opened in the United States during the 2014–2015 school year were located near a busy road."

Many of the public health impacts of air pollution, from diabetes to death, are well documented. In this study, researchers focused on kids in Florida public schools located within 0.4 miles of major highways. They looked at how students’ performance in school changed after moving from a less polluted school—that is, a school upwind of a highway—to a more polluted school (downwind of a highway) and vice versa. The findings: Students who transitioned to a more polluted school—even in the same zip code—began experiencing lower test scores, more behavioral problems, and more absences than students who transitioned to a less polluted school.

The researchers hope that policymakers and school districts will consider the findings when siting new schools.

Monday, February 4, 2019 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight