Across the U.S., enrollment has declined in traditional public schools, leaving once-busy campuses quiet and empty.
Instead of letting these big pieces of land sit unused, communities and developers are turning them into new homes, parks, shops and gathering places, bringing fresh life to neighborhoods and creating new opportunities for residents.
Why Are Schools Closing?
Schools have seen a drop in enrollment across the board since 2020, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a study by Brookings, enrollment in public schools dropped in the 2019-20 school year and again in 2022-23. Virtual schooling, homeschooling and charter schools all saw a rise during the same time frame.
“The shift was already underway, and when the pandemic emerged, it caused a major disruption,” said Zonda Advisory expert Bob Templeton. “And because of these flexible work arrangements, we saw a surge in homeschooling.”
With closures happening more often, communities are faced with a challenging question: what should be done with campuses that no longer serve students?
Meeting Community Needs
For communities, the loss of a school can be difficult, but the land can still be used for the public’s benefit. The campus could be demolished or renovated to meet several community needs.
Public school campuses tend to occupy a significant amount of land, and if they are no longer in use, that space can often be repurposed into new housing or amenities for the surrounding neighborhood.
“In some of these older areas with established school districts, an elementary school site is typically located on 10 to 17 acres,” Templeton said. “And sometimes these elementary school sites are adjacent to parks or other amenities, such as trails.
“There could be some excellent opportunities for redevelopment that incorporate a single-family or multifamily component, making it a nice infill.”
The type of school can also affect how the land and buildings are used.
“A middle school site could be 30 to 50 acres, and it doesn’t take many home sites to make that a nice opportunity,” Templeton said. “High school sites, although rare, make great mixed-use or retail spaces.”
In some cases, existing buildings can be preserved and adapted. Shops, recreational centers and civic spaces can make use of former classrooms and gyms, while green space could be converted into parks or community gardens.
For example, in Midland, Michigan, the Midland Planning Commission approved a plan to build 14 new single-family homes on the site of the former Ashman School/Franklin Center.
The homes will be constructed in partnership with the district’s building trades students, bringing new, owner-occupied housing to the neighborhood while reutilizing a once-vacant campus.
Why It Matters
New housing and community centers can help raise property values in surrounding neighborhoods and attract new homebuyers, due to both increased housing availability and new amenities.
Depending on the acreage of the campus, the new housing may even be able function like a master-planned community, with both housing and amenities available to the residents.
Redevelopment also provides new buyers with the opportunity to customize their homes from the beginning, rather than after construction has begun. Builders can clear inventory as well, alleviating a pain point the industry has been struggling with.
The Bottom Line
With the shifting landscape of education and the ever-changing housing market, homebuyers and builders have a unique opportunity to both preserve a part of their history and put it to use for the wider community.
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