Shrinking Enrollment, Sticky School Footprints: The Mismatch in Public Education

Enrollment in traditional¹ public schools is declining across much of the U.S., while the number of schools operated by those districts has declined much more slowly.² A recent academic study found that declining enrollment is associated with a greater likelihood of permanent closure among traditional public schools.³ The lag in school closures is significant because many district costs do not decline at the same rate as enrollment. Districts still need to maintain buildings, administrative functions, transportation networks, and other fixed expenses even as student counts and, where applicable, enrollment-linked revenues decline. National research focused on traditional public school districts has found that many districts experiencing enrollment losses have made relatively few changes to the number of schools they operate, contributing to smaller average school sizes and…