School construction tends to track population growth and new development (fig.1)¹. Studies have shown that educated cities are more resilient and that successful schools can impact the demand and price for housing in the vicinity, making education a key component to the prosperity of a city.²(fig.2)³

However, school planning must be analyzed and strategically implemented in order to accommodate fluctuating populations over time, which impacts the demand for individual school buildings. By considering more flexible building systems, municipalities can more easily accommodate the future needs of schools and their communities as they expand and contract.

A 2017 study showed that 26% of homebuyers consider the quality of schools when looking for a new house.⁴ According to the Brookings Institution, on average, housing costs are nearly 2.5 times higher near high-scoring public school districts than near low-scoring districts.⁵ Another report states that every dollar spent on public schools in a community increased home values by $20.⁶ Per the New York Times, economists have estimated that a 5% improvement in test scores in suburban neighborhoods can lead to a 2.5% increase in property prices.⁷ Another states that as the "number of college graduates per capita doubles, the expected growth rate over the decade rises by roughly 4 percent."⁸

fig.1: population change by county; fig.2: relationship between home price and school quality in New York/New Jersey metro area

Locally, the town of New Rochelle, just north of New York City, has grown by about two percent in just the last two years. If districts enjoying population growth like this were to invest in the renovation of existing schools and the construction of new ones, they could spur positive cycles of long-term growth and value. At the same time, due to the pandemic, the City itself experienced a net decline in population growth as urbanites fled to suburbs. Disruptions like this are historically responsible for these kinds of variation. As we progress further into an era of an unpredictable, destabilizing climate, adaptability should be built into our buildings from the start.

In fact the pandemic provided a critical lens for us to see our schools anew. Overnight many were transformed into testing and vaccination centers (fig.3)⁹, food assistance sites and critical outdoor recreation spaces when we could not congregate indoors. In a post-Covid world, schools need to be dynamic and versatile centers at the heart of their communities. Likewise, they should be composed of healthy, renewable materials that move us closer to a post-carbon future; and that, where possible, they should make use of existing structures that are already embedded within the fabric of their district, ultimately leading to more nuanced, complex designs that honor the history of the site (fig.4).

fig.3: school transformed into Covid testing center at Wye School, Ashford, Kent; fig.4: mass timber pergola structure on the roof of existing school at Ganeinu Academy by MHA