Education
Fewer students, too many schools: Communities confront closures and consolidations
By Robbie Sequeira (Stateline) Published: September 15, 2026 Declining birth rates mean fewer students. And that means more districts grappling with whether to close or merge schools. “The big shrink” is how Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, described what is happening nationally. “When there are fewer