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Residence-based priorities and school choice

Author

Listed:
  • Gortázar, Lucas
  • Mayor, David
  • Montalbán, José

Abstract

Many countries use centralized school choice procedures to assign pupils to schools. To address excess demand for a particular school, ties are broken according to priority points granted based on various criteria, such as proximity to the school. Using a unique reform undertaken in Madrid (Spain), we estimate the impact of abolishing residence-based priorities on families’ school choices, the stated motivation for choosing a school, and the final school allocation. Utilizing several administrative datasets on school applications, we find that the reform increases families’ out-of-district school assignments and assignments to schools further away from their home address. Parents of immigrant children did not change their application behavior in the first years of the reform but caught up with natives three years after its implementation. Children generally accessed slightly better-performing schools, particularly those from lower-educated backgrounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Gortázar, Lucas & Mayor, David & Montalbán, José, 2023. "Residence-based priorities and school choice," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:95:y:2023:i:c:s0272775723000316
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102384
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    Cited by:

    1. Zuchanek, Kevin J., 2025. "Bridging language gaps: Native language school assignment information under immediate acceptance," Ruhr Economic Papers 1172, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    2. Rodríguez-Álvarez, Carmelo & Romero-Medina, Antonio, 2024. "School choice with transferable student characteristics," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 103-124.
    3. Andreu Arenas & Caterina Calsamiglia, 2025. "Gender Differences in High-Stakes Performance and College Admission Policies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 71(10), pages 8413-8429, October.
    4. Bentolila, Samuel & Cabrales, Antonio & Jansen, Marcel, 2023. "Does Dual Vocational Education and Training Pay Off?," IZA Discussion Papers 16688, IZA Network @ LISER.
    5. Keisuke Takano & Yuta Kuroda & Toru Murayama, 2025. "Location advantages and sorting in high school education," DSSR Discussion Papers 147, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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