School’s Out For … Ever

“There is a pathos to a closed school that doesn’t apply to a shuttered courthouse or post office. The abandonment of a building once full of young voices is an indelible sign of the action having moved elsewhere. There is a tangible cost, too. Researchers have found that students whose schools have been closed often experience declines in attendance and achievement, and that they tend to be less likely to graduate from college or find employment. Closures tend to fall disproportionately on majority-Black schools.” Alec MacGillis on The Unequal Effects of School Closings. “Since the pandemic began, public school enrollment has declined by a million students nationwide, as many have switched to private schools and homeschooling.”