I wonder what is causing kids to live further from schools. Is it that there are fewer schools, or is it that more kids don't attend the closest school? There is a modern trend towards specialization of schools, or parents selecting one school over another, which would result longer distances. But there is also a trend towards centralization at larger schools.
Land is cheaper in suburban areas, and most decision makers are capable of driving unlike children. Schools in the US have been moving into more auto-oriented, less walkable places, and this also happens when schools get replaced due to reaching the end of their useful lives.
