ERIC Number: EJ1322420
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1558-2159
EISSN: N/A
Over the River and through the Woods: The Role of Distance in Participation in Rural School Choice
Edwards, Danielle Sanderson
Journal of School Choice, v15 n4 p624-654 2021
Although there exists a large body of literature concerning the impacts of school choice policies, few studies focus on the choices of rural students. Using a unique dataset that includes administrative records, geocoded addresses, and commute times for Michigan public school students over 6 years, I describe who participates in interdistrict choice in rural Michigan, where 15% of rural students attend a nonresident district. In particular, I examine the roles of commute time and school closures in choice decisions -- two factors that may be particularly salient in rural communities. I find that gaps in participation in interdistrict choice between rural and non-rural districts exist in kindergarten and persist across grades. Furthermore, I provide evidence that students who live farther away from their assigned school have lower opportunity costs to participate in interdistrict choice especially in rural districts. Also, school closures may induce students living farther away from their assigned school to attend a nonresident district in remote rural areas.
Descriptors: Rural Schools, Rural Education, School Choice, Public Schools, Transportation, Proximity, School Closing, School Districts, Place of Residence, Rural Areas, Enrollment Trends, Probability, Student Characteristics
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Michigan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A