Developing Community Schools Through the Colocation of Resources in El Paso, Texas

Abstract

The contemporary school system is the subject of much debate across the United States. Public consciousness paints public schools as ineffective, uninspiring and inadequate. Educational theory focuses on ways to change the curriculum that will best aid students. This method of problem solving has its merits, but the social theory of education states that education is a function of broader systems. Schools began to have a larger building footprint in the late 1950s. The initial shift towards bigger schools was intended to account for a greater provision of community resources. School sprawl is used to describe the practice of locating schools on large campuses away from the residential areas they serve. Contemporary thought has proposed a move back to the community school as a solution to this fragmentation (McDonald 2010). This paper engages with existing literature to covering the colocation framework an existing policy, including experienced benefits and challenges. It goes on to perform an analysis of compatible uses and propose recommendations.