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The Effect of School Construction on Test Scores, School Enrollment, and Home Prices

Author

Listed:
  • Neilson, Christopher A.

    (Princeton University)

  • Zimmerman, Seth D.

    (Yale School of Management)

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence on the effect of school construction projects on home prices, academic achievement, and public school enrollment. Taking advantage of the staggered implementation of a comprehensive school construction project in a poor urban district, we find that, by six years after building occupancy, $10,000 of per-student investment in school construction raised reading scores for elementary and middle school students by 0.027 standard deviations. For a student receiving the average treatment intensity this corresponds to a 0.21 standard deviation increase. School construction also raised home prices and public school enrollment in zoned neighborhoods.

Suggested Citation

  • Neilson, Christopher A. & Zimmerman, Seth D., 2011. "The Effect of School Construction on Test Scores, School Enrollment, and Home Prices," IZA Discussion Papers 6106, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6106
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    test scores; school construction; home prices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • R30 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - General

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