U.S. School Closures Accelerate Amid Enrollment Declines and Funding Shortfalls

A new analysis of federal data reveals that 1,156 schools closed during the last academic year, the highest number since the pandemic, as U.S. birth rates decline and state and federal education funding decreases. This trend is forcing cash-strapped school districts nationwide to close campuses to save money, with new research indicating that student enrollment has fallen much faster than schools are closing, suggesting further financial challenges ahead.