With dwindling budgets many schools are attempting to cut costs by consolidating schools. But what effect does this have on the community and the children who attend these schools? Historically schools played a major role in communities, in neighborhood centers. But now with school consolidation, communities are closing schools in favor of mega-schools located on the edge of cities. Larger schools have been proven to have lower graduation rates and higher crime rates than smaller neighborhood schools. Attendance rates are also lower due to the long distances that kids need to travel which eliminates their ability to walk or bike.
Suburban Mega School with lots of parking but no nearby houses
Image courtesy of http://www.jmrengineering.com
Parent surveys have shown that they do not want their kids to walk or bike to school because of distance and safety concerns resulting in current school planning designed to discourage walking while other schools have banned biking. However these policies lead to increased traffic and traveling speeds which is the cause these safety concerns, further compounding the problem. A school in Seattle has made efforts to increase biking and has seen the opposite result, an increase in safety due to decreased traffic. These planning guidelines can help reverse this trend, detailing the needs of schools, from site selection to size.
Another paradox within school planning is the need for busing. While schools consolidate to save money they are spending their savings on an increased demand for busing, or pass the financially/time burden to parents to drive their kids to school each day. Smaller, neighborhood schools can cut cost by eliminating busing within one mile. Students who live within a mile are able to walk or bike to school. Surveys have shown that kids prefer walking and biking to school because it gives them an opportunity to socialize outside of school with their friends. Students also do better academically if they get some physical activity in the mornings. Safe Routes to School is a national program that aims to promote walking and biking to school to increase health and safety within the community.
Plan for the Public 