Michigan has dipped a toe into the waters of change with the passage of PA 276, which requires high schools in townships to show their site plans for new schools to the township planning and zoning authorities. Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed it into law this summer.

Sponsored by Rep. Philip LaJoy (R-Canton), the legislation addresses a major land use issue in the state by requiring a minor, but essential, form of communication.

School districts, which often cross municipal boundaries, have independent planning and zoning authority. This means they can site new schools anywhere they see fit regardless of the land use goals cited in a community's master plan. Often, new schools are sited on the fringes of communities where the land is the cheapest. They bring with them infrastructure like roads and sewer lines, which are catalysts for residential development in areas that were once farms, fields, forests and wetlands.

Although communities still are virtually powerless to decide where a school is built, the new law represents a crucial step in coordinating land use decision-making throughout the state.