What would make you move to a new city? As COVID-19 moved through the US, remote work suddenly became more commonplace, forever changing office culture. And for many, this meant that work no longer tethered them to a geographic location. Knowing this, communities began to offer cash incentives for remote workers to move into their communities. But this is not a new idea. In fact, one of the biggest perks a community could ever offer is better education options. And this type of incentive works. When families move, they change the economic landscape of a community.

One interesting example is the “tuitioning system” in Vermont. Since the 1800s, Vermont towns that do not have their own public schools pay for children to attend private schools or public schools in nearby towns, but with parents choosing which schools their children attend.  Some children even attend out-of-state schools. Some have gone to school in Canada!

In 1998, the Winhall school district in Vermont moved from having an assigned public school to this tuitioning model, offering an interesting case study on tuitioning. At the time, Winhall had a poor-performing public school, so the district switched to tuitioning and gave the old school building to a new private school that agreed to take all students in the district (if they desired to attend).

What happened?

Census data shows 14 percent more school-aged children live in this area than pre-schoolers do, meaning families with school-age children are moving into the district. In other words, when families in the Winhall school district had choices, they were more likely to stay, and families with school age children were more likely to move into the community.

Research also shows that Vermont’s tuitioning districts have higher property values, a sign that having choices is economically valuable. This Vermont newspaper article also clearly captures the switch to tuitioning as the impetus for a local real estate boom. But it is also interesting to note that beyond economic development, even though spending per child went down, test scores went up. 

This is just one example of the power of school choice to act as a strong catalyst for people to move to a place. Here are a few more recent stories that point to the same conclusion: here and here. 

As city leaders consider how to help their local communities thrive, they should not overlook the way education and the freedom to make choices impacts the economic landscape of their neighborhoods. By breaking free of school districts zones, communities are able to offer real incentives families are looking for.