The Hidden Costs of Locating Schools on the Outskirts

St. Cloud, Minnesota is considering the question of whether to renovate or rebuild—and where to rebuild—a local high school.

1 minute read

June 23, 2015, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


School Sprawl

Paul B. Moore / Shutterstock

Kristi Marohn reports on the implication of a proposal to move the location of Technical High School in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota to a location on the edge of town 4.5 miles away from the current location. Among the costs of moving the school away from the city's core, according to the article: the loss of walkable access to the school.  

Marohn presents the Technical High School case as an example of a trend found elsewhere in the country:

"As school districts nationwide seek to provide modern learning environments, many are building large schools outside of core urban areas, where land is cheaper and more plentiful. The spacious, modern schools offer many benefits, including attractive and functional designs, better accessibility for students with disabilities and on-site athletic fields."

"But they also come with hidden costs," adds Marohn. The article goes on to describe the case made by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as smart growth advocates, who argue that a more holistic cost benefit analysis should influence the decision of where to site the location of new schools. Writes Marohn: "Among the costs of building a new school farther from the center of St. Cloud: extending sewer and water utilities and improving roads that aren't designed for the traffic a school would bring."

Monday, June 22, 2015 in SCTimes

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.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

6 hours ago - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

June 16 - UNM News