Urban school closures: A sign of the times
In major cities across the U.S., urban school districts are facing a challenging trend: shrinking student populations leading to under-resourced and ultimately closed schools.
Los Angeles USD, for instance, is set to close the Hilda L. Solis Learning Academy this summer due to drastically declining enrollment which has limited educational offerings. Similar situations are unfolding in other urban areas, forcing districts to make tough choices between maintaining numerous underpopulated schools or consolidating resources, which often meets with community resistance.
The trend, exacerbated by lower birth rates, migration patterns, and the rise of alternative schooling options, saw urban schools lose about 850,000 students between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school years, according to The Brookings Institution analysis. This drop in student numbers has led to "hollowed-out" schools—buildings with too few students to justify their operational costs. Although smaller schools can foster a closer-knit educational environment and have historically shown benefits such as higher graduation rates, they struggle with high per-student costs and reduced program diversity.
Decisions to close schools are fraught with educational and political difficulties. In Texas, San Antonio ISD plans to close 15 schools next year, a decision driven by the need to distribute educational resources more effectively. These closures highlight broader societal shifts and raise questions about how urban educational systems can adapt to changing demographics without sacrificing quality or community trust.
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Sara Randazzo Matt Barnum
Director
2moPhiladelphia has the resources necessary to attract and maintain a steady flow of qualified teacher's to the SDP Look within. Create a serious future teachers program from within. Add Future teachers to the Workforce Development Program; within the district. Create a teachers academy program with in neighborhood school's..Grades 6-12. Reach out to Pell Grant student who may have droped out of college for financial reasons. Connect them to Mr. Sharif El-Mekki program that has focus on identifying Black Men to become teachers. Reach out to current staff who spend time in Philadelphia classrooms everyday day with special needs students students. Give them the appropriate training to service those students. That support may peak their interest in becoming a class room teacher . Reach out to the district’s last 5 years of college graduates. Many are not working in their chosen fields. Create a 5 year teacher program for people to return as teachers as they plan transitionn to future beyond includes their professional degree's Don't forget to include the parents, guardian’s, family's in the transition conversation/ planning