Staying in the Neighborhood - Examining Distance to Zoned Schools and Access to Transportation - Research Brief

Oct 15, 2026

Research Brief focused on Houston Independent School District (HISD) transportation eligibility and how residential distance shapes access to zoned schools. The study analyzes the relationship between students’ home-to-school distance and zoned enrollment under the district rule requiring at least 2 miles to qualify for district-provided transportation. Results show most students attending zoned elementary schools are ineligible due to living within 2 miles, and that race, socioeconomic status, English learner status, and gifted/talented status can create meaningful enrollment differences within the 2-mile group.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Key Findings

Background

School Transportation and Educational Access Inequalities

School Choice and Commute Constraints

HISD Transportation Eligibility Policy

Building Better Cities Building Better Lives Staying in the Neighborhood Examining Distance to Zoned Schools and Access to Transportation Mauricio Molina, Ph. D., Erin Baumgartner, Ph. D., and Katharine Bao, Ph. D. Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District July 2023 Suggested citation. Molina, M., Baumgartner, E., & Bao, K. (2023). Staying in the Neighborhood: Examining distance to zoned schools and access to transportation. Houston, TX: Houston Education Research Consortium, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University. About HERC. Focusing on the most pressing challenges facing the region, the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) is a researchpractice partnership between the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and 11 Houston-area school districts. HERC aims to improve the connection between education research and decision making for the purpose of equalizing outcomes by race, ethnicity, economic status, and other factors associated with inequitable educational opportunities. [DOI: doi.org/10.25611/WWZ7-5P47](DOI: doi.org/10.25611/WWZ7-5P47) Research Brief Staying in the Neighborhood Examining Distance to Zoned Schools and Access to Transportation In the Houston Independent School District (HISD), how far a student lives from their zoned school determines their access to school transportation. Per district policy, students must live at least 2 miles from their zoned school to be eligible for district-provided school transportation. The Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) examined the distance between students’ homes and zoned schools across HISD to understand the effect distance has on zoned school enrollment, specifically within the context of HISD’s transportation eligibility policy. The research found that most students who attend their zoned elementary schools are ineligible for district-provided transportation because they live within 2 miles of that school. Additionally, students who lived closer to their zoned school were more likely to attend that school. Significant differences also exist in the share of students living within 2 miles of their zoned school who enrolled at that school and who did not when grouped by race, socioeconomic status, English learner status, and gifted/talented status. These findings applied across all grade levels and indicate that living closer to a zoned school is associated with enrollment in that school, even though this could mean being ineligible for district-provided school transportation. Implications and recommendations for the district are also discussed. Key Findings On average, elementary school students districtwide lived approximately 1 mile from their zoned schools. ▪ The average distance between a student’s home and their zoned school was 1.1 miles for elementary schools, 2 miles for middle schools, and 2.3 miles for high schools. Students who live within 2 miles of their zoned school were more likely to enroll in that school. ▪ The chances of these students enrolling in their zoned school were between 66% and 76%, depending on grade level. About three-fourths of students living within 2 miles of their zoned school chose to attend that school. ▪ A majority of students lived within 2 miles of their zoned school, and 73% of those students enrolled at their zoned school. Of students living within 2 miles of their zoned school, significant differences existed between students who enrolled at their zoned school and those who did not. ▪ Except for Black students, differences between those enrolled and those who did not existed across economic disadvantage, English learner status, and race/ethnicity. Staying in the Neighborhood Examining Distance to Zoned Schools and Access to Transportation ~~ ~~1~~ ~~ Background Over time, school transportation has become an important factor in alleviating educational access inequalities caused by urban planning that

FAQs

What role does distance play in HISD students’ access to district-provided transportation?

In HISD, students must live at least 2 miles from their zoned school to qualify for district-provided school transportation, as specified by district policy.

What did the research find about enrollment in zoned elementary schools?

Most students who attend their zoned elementary schools are ineligible for district-provided transportation because they live within 2 miles of their zoned school.

How do student characteristics affect enrollment decisions within the 2-mile range?

For students living within 2 miles of their zoned school, significant enrollment differences exist between those who enrolled and those who did not, varying by race/ethnicity, economic disadvantage, and English learner status (with the text noting exceptions for Black students).

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks