As artificial intelligence accelerates demand for massive computing facilities, California communities are asking how data center growth could affect schools, energy, and neighborhood equity.
Nearly 1,900 public schools across the country sit within a mile of a data center. In California, the growth of artificial intelligence is raising concerns about what happens when the infrastructure behind the digital economy moves closer to classrooms.
Every day, students use technology to learn. They complete assignments online, access digital textbooks, communicate with teachers, and increasingly experiment with artificial intelligence tools.
But behind those digital services are massive facilities that consume enormous amounts of electricity, require complex cooling systems, and operate around the clock.
They are called data centers, and as artificial intelligence accelerates demand for computing power, these facilities are expanding across the country — sometimes close to the schools and neighborhoods they serve.
A national analysis found that nearly 1,900 public schools in the United States are located within one mile of a data center, raising new questions about how the rapid growth of digital infrastructure could affect students, teachers, and communities.
California is at the center of that conversation.
The state has more than 200 active data centers, making it one of the largest data center markets in the nation. The California Energy Commission estimates that data centers currently represent about 1,000 megawatts, or approximately 2% of California’s peak electricity demand, with projections that demand could grow significantly as artificial intelligence expands.
The technology behind AI promises new opportunities for education, but the physical infrastructure needed to operate it is creating a different set of questions.
The concerns near schools
For families living near data centers, the debate is not about whether technology belongs in classrooms. It is about what happens when the facilities powering that technology become part of the neighborhood landscape.
Parents and community advocates have raised concerns about several issues:
Noise: Large data centers rely on constant cooling systems. Because these facilities operate 24 hours a day, communities have questioned whether industrial noise could affect nearby schools and students’ learning environments.
Construction impacts: New facilities can bring years of construction activity, including heavy trucks, dust, and traffic changes near residential areas and school zones.
Energy demand: Data centers require significant electricity. California officials are examining how future growth will affect the state’s energy system and how those costs should be distributed.
Environmental pressure: Researchers and advocates have raised concerns about the relationship between data center growth, water use, and vulnerable communities, particularly in areas already facing environmental challenges.
The Los Angeles question
Los Angeles is already a major technology and telecommunications hub, with data centers supporting the region’s economy, entertainment industry, businesses, and public services.
But the city also contains some of California’s most economically challenged communities, including neighborhoods where schools serve large numbers of Latino students and families.
That creates a larger equity question:
If communities with fewer resources host more of the infrastructure needed for the artificial intelligence economy, will students in those communities receive the benefits of that growth — or mainly experience the burdens?
Los Angeles Unified School District serves more than 500,000 students, with Latino students representing the majority of enrollment. For many families, questions about technology are connected to broader concerns about school quality, environmental conditions, and opportunities for children.
The issue is not that data centers automatically damage schools or student performance. There is no evidence that simply being near a data center causes lower academic achievement.
But education researchers have long documented that learning environments matter. Noise, pollution, chronic stress, and neighborhood conditions can influence students’ ability to focus, attend school regularly, and succeed academically.
For communities already facing educational gaps, even additional pressures can become part of a larger challenge.
Who benefits from the AI economy?
California is betting heavily on artificial intelligence. Schools are exploring AI tools that could help personalize learning, support teachers, and expand access to educational resources.
But the infrastructure behind AI raises a question that communities are beginning to ask:
Will the neighborhoods powering the next technological revolution also share in its benefits?
For parents and educators, the debate is not about stopping technology.
It is about ensuring that students — especially those in underserved communities — are not overlooked as California builds the infrastructure of the future.
The future of AI will be measured not only by faster computers and larger data centers.
It will also be measured by whether the students living closest to those facilities have healthier schools, stronger resources, and a real voice in decisions affecting their communities.
