Location analysis of private schools: a move towards data-driven insight

Abstract

The prudence with which facility siting decisions are made is often a key determinant of a business’ relative success or demise. Ease of transport access often plays a cornerstone role in the school choice process and, accordingly, the selection of a particular site for a new school should be considered sagaciously to ensure acceptable accessibility for its target market. The research explored the use of a geographic information system (GIS) to perform various accessibility-based analyses to inform school site selection in the Cape Winelands Municipality. The research considered the perspective of a private-sector education provider aimed primarily at learners from higher household income backgrounds. The results of these analyses suggested that existing schools within the study area were well-positioned to serve the higher end of the market effectively, however, several sites were identified which would be accessible within 12 minutes driving time for a sufficient number of targeted learners to potentially render relatively small facilities (with capacities of approximately 200 learners) justifiable. As a result, it was suggested that a private education provider should either pursue one or more of the proposed sites in anticipation of future population growth or it should consider the possibility of acquiring existing facilities instead of Greenfield expansion.