Student enrollment is falling faster than public schools are closing

A total of 1,156 US public schools closed during the last academic year, the highest number since the pandemic. The figure, from a new analysis published this week, largely reflects declining birth rates and funding cuts.

Student enrollment is falling faster than public schools are closing, with enrollment down by roughly 1.4 million students from 2019 to 2024. Analysts say the decline is primarily due to a multidecade drop in birth rates; the under-18 population fell by roughly 2.1 million children from 2010 to 2025. The federal immigration crackdown and postpandemic expansion of private school vouchers and homeschool options have also contributed. Projections indicate that tumbling enrollment could cost public schools roughly $11.5B in state funding annually by 2030-31, compared with revenue received in 2025-26, potentially spurring further closures.

Research shows closures may not deliver the savings school districts expect, since busing, severance, and vacant-building security add costs. Displaced students also often experience long-term declines in reading and math scores. Compare state test scores here. And dive into the history of America’s public education system here.