Fayetteville joins a host of forward-thinking school systems from coast to coast that have begun adopting GIS technology to provide a data-driven approach to planning everything from potential construction sites to school district zoning and citywide busing routes. In Fayetteville's case, district officials even have used the technology to take advantage of thousands of dollars in state tax breaks.

Working out of Arkansas's booming Northwest region, a portion he describes as "the economic engine of the state," Fayetteville Superintendent Bobby New said he's come to rely heavily on GIS technology to assist him in all phases of district planning and development. From redrafting school boundaries to maximize the potential revenue from state tax breaks, to picking potential school sites that make the best sense for the community, the geographic tool has become a central cog in the district's decision-making processes, New said.

Unlike Global Positioning Systems (GPS)--the satellite-aided technology used by a growing number of administrators to help pinpoint the exact location of school buses--GIS technology is not a honing device. Rather, its function is reserved for the complex task of sorting and layering analytical data used to understand the physical and environmental challenges posed by different geographic locations, such as potential school building sites, for example.

Resembling a digital color-coded map, the district's GIS user interface provides New with a doctor's X-ray view into the school system's physical anatomy, allowing him to see everything from the potential impact of upstart housing projects on the community and the percentage of at-risk students enrolled in a given school to the presence of accessible water and sewer lines at proposed building sites.

"It really is an amazing tool," said New, who admits he was skeptical about using GIS technology at first. When district Technology Coordinator Susan Cromwell first approached him about investing in a GIS tool for the district, New said he almost slammed the door in her face. But she persisted--and New is grateful. These days, "I don't know what we'd do without it," he said. "To be honest with you, it's probably saved my job on a few occasions."

In the fall of 2006, Fayetteville plans to open a brand-new combination elementary-middle school, the site for which was chosen based on data provided through the school district's GIS system.

Michael Gray, Fayetteville's associate superintendent for operations, said administrators were able to combine different streams of school and geographic data to help plan for everything from the impact of future housing developments and traffic patterns to the placement of school athletic fields.