School Closures Are Way Down, but Delaying These Hard Choices Makes Things Worse

Aldeman: Many districts closed their eyes to financial reality. Students are better off if leaders seek proactive solutions sooner rather than later.

After reports that Chicago Public Schools might need to close up to 100 schools, its board voted in September to impose a moratorium on any such discussion until at least 2027. With that decision, Chicago became the most extreme and high-profile example of a district ignoring its underenrolled schools.

But it’s not just Chicago. Over the last decade, districts have closed fewer and fewer schools. As of 2021-22, the most recent year for which national data is available, districts closed 666 schools — the lowest number in more than 20 years. (Charter school closures are also at historically low levels.)