Planning for Schools in Michigan: Local School Board Decisionmaking on School Renovation, New School Construction, and School Siting
There is a growing debate across Michigan and the U.S. about the relationships between new school construction and community growth. Oft-stated concerns are that the siting of new schools in undeveloped or “exurban” locations is contributing to sprawl and that school boards are not addressing this consideration adequately when making school construction and siting decisions. Based on a pair of surveys of school district superintendents and local government officials in Michigan, this study was designed to test a number of commonly made assertions about factors influencing school board decisionmaking.