For some students and families, school choice depends on more than what is available. 

That idea is at the center of a new policy brief co-authored by Sarah A. Cordes, associate professor at Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), whose research focuses on the connections between education and urban policy. Released by the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice, or REACH, at Tulane University, the brief highlights research on how distance and transportation access shape school choice, attendance, and student outcomes in New York City.  

According to research by Sarah A. Cordes and Amy Ellen Schwartz, New York City provides a critical context for this research due to its size, diversity, and complex school choice system. As the nation’s largest school district, NYC offers a unique setting to examine how transportation and access shape enrollment and attendance across a wide range of school options. Its scale and variation in school quality and neighborhood resources make it especially well-suited for understanding how transportation can influence educational equity. 

Titled Transportation Increases Schooling Access: Evidence from New York City, the brief brings together findings from three studies led by Cordes and co-author Amy Ellen Schwartz, professor at the University of Delaware. Across those studies, the researchers found that students are less likely to enroll in schools that are farther from home, while students who live closer to school tend to attend more regularly. 

The research also shows that proximity to a high-performing school matters. Students who live near a high-performing school are more likely to enroll there, and that access is linked to stronger academic outcomes. 

Transportation can help close those gaps. The research found that students are more likely to choose their zoned school or a charter school when buses are available, that transportation access improves attendance in places with fewer school options, and that eligibility for free transportation can improve test scores for students who live farther from high-performing schools. 

“We’ve long known that where students live shapes their educational opportunities, and that students living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to attend lower-quality schools,” said Cordes. “A key premise of school choice is that it can expand access to higher quality schools outside of a student’s neighborhood. But access means more than the ability to enroll; it also means being able to get there. Our research highlights the importance of transportation as a policy lever for expanding educational opportunity, especially for students who may not live near a high-quality school.”  

Cordes’ research confirms that access matters just as much as choice. Policies that improve how students travel to school may help make education systems more equitable, particularly for historically marginalized students who may not live near high-quality options. The full policy brief is available through REACH.