Nearly 1,900 U.S. public schools are within a mile of a data center
Arnco-Sargent Elementary School sits in a wooded area on a two-lane road about 50 miles south of Atlanta. Across the street is a child care center. A Baptist church is less than a mile away. But if developers get their way, the school’s newest neighbor could be a sprawling data center campus housing the networking infrastructure needed to help power Americans’ reliance on the internet and,…
Nearly 1,900 public schools in the United States are located within a mile of a data center, according to researchers at Brown University. The rapidly expanding infrastructure, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, is causing concerns among families and school staff about potential disruptions such as increased traffic, noise, and environmental impacts.
In April, the Coweta County commission in Georgia re-zoned 832 rural acres to accommodate Project Sail, a massive data center campus that could be under construction for the next 10 years. One mother, Laura Beth, whose child is in first grade, fears that the school will be his entire childhood if the project proceeds. Families have sued the county to stop the project and are seeking a referendum against it on the ballot.
Data centers are crucial for modern life, powering work, shopping, and learning, and the global market for AI in education is projected to grow to over $136 billion by 2035. However, tech companies are looking for land near existing infrastructure, as the closer the location, the faster data loads. Concerns about energy use and environmental impacts have led some states, like New York, to place moratoriums on new data centers.
Nevertheless, opponents argue that officials should restrict building near schools and residential neighborhoods. Nationally, California has the largest number of schools near data centers, with 602 out of 1,878 schools affected. Research from Brown University suggests that math scores may be lower for students attending schools closer to data centers.
While companies claim they take measures to minimize disruption, concerns persist about noise from cooling systems, fans, and generators, which have been likened to the sound of a jet engine.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
