Economists and business leaders have recognized the role played by colleges and universities in driving economic development through their purchasing and employment (to say nothing of their longer-term contributions to workforce development and knowledge creation) and the institutions often promote that impact in order to gain public and political support. But the economic impact of public and private elementary and secondary schools has been noticeably absent from the discussion.
A 2006 report by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) indicates that New England's accredited colleges and universities and schools represent the leading economic stimulus in the six-state ...