Why Are Schools Built In The Middle Of Nowhere?

The "conventional" wisdom of school siting decisions and their effect on spawl.

1 minute read

March 31, 2004, 8:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"School building decisions have an impact that stretches far beyond the education of a community’s students. Which is why those concerned about stemming school sprawl are beginning to focus on one key consideration: Not HOW decisions get made, but WHO makes them. They’re questioning the freedom that school boards and administrators have had to weigh their own criteria separately from the wishes of other public bodies. Getting school districts to play ball with other public agencies is likely to be difficult. The attitude of many state school board associations is pretty well summed up by Ed Dunlap, who runs the North Carolina School Board Association. “Our position is very clear,” he says. “It is the responsibility of the local board of education to make decisions about where schools are sited. Period.” "

Thanks to Daryl Kinton

Monday, March 29, 2004 in Governing

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