Report: Nearly 500 Schools Underenrolled and Chronically Underperforming

National analysis reveals enrollment declines are far from random, urging district leaders to plan for family re-engagement or face possible closures.

Low performing schools are twice as likely to have lost substantial numbers of students – with nearly 500 losing 20% or more since the pandemic, marking them potential candidates for closures, a new national report has revealed.

Analysis released yesterday by the Fordham Institute put forth a list of close to 500 strained schools as a “wake up call” for districts to plan interventions such as family engagement, high dosage tutoring and address specific community concerns before they “find themselves pushed against a wall” and forced to close schools, said author Sofoklis Goulas, a fellow with the Brookings Institution who built on his prior enrollment research in this latest study with Fordham.