Recently, there has been extensive media coverage of school districts with declining enrollment that are closing schools. Just last week, Jefferson County Public Schools approved closing 16 of its elementary schools. Meanwhile, Denver Public Schools released an initial list of 10 schools that it would like to close before reducing that number to five amid community opposition.
The prospect of school closures raises very real questions for families, but instead of seeking genuine answers, we have seen some cast blame on public charter schools. That effort not only defies the facts, it’s also a convenient way to devolve the discussion into an “us versus them” narrative at the exact time when our schools and communities need less of that, not more.
First, let’s start with the facts. Even a cursory review of the demographics makes clear that what is actually driving the declines in school enrollment is simply that there are fewer children being born. Nationally, annual births have declined 700,000, or 16%, since 2007, including declines across all racial and ethnic groups. Declines in urban areas have proven to be particularly significant as many low- and middle-income families struggle with record housing costs in those markets.
See the full article by Dan Schaller, November 17, 2022