William Murphy, chief operations officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, explains the upgrades coming to George Washington Carver 87 as part of the district's Rebuilding Stronger plan.
Despite these pressures, administrators and school boards are finding ways to design a process that reduces community conflict, improves morale, and reframes the change as one that will ultimately benefit students.
Large districts, steep declines
The districts facing the steepest enrollment declines and the possibility of school closures are also the largest. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), roughly 20% of the schools in the Los Angeles, New York City, and Philadelphia districts suffer from a loss of 20% or more in their student populations. A recent analysis prepared by the Hamilton Project shows that losses are due to various factors, including shifts in demographics, school choice, and migration. In California, the most populated state in the country, low housing inventory and birth rates are also cited as reasons why fewer children attend traditional public schools, according to a report commissioned by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
According to Stephen Levy, author of the study and Director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, “New housing can actually help many districts with declining enrollment avoiding revenue losses and associated staffing cutbacks and facility closures.” While some districts in California work towards increasing access to affordable housing, others facing mounting budget cuts and increased fiscal restraints struggle with this question: Which school doors need to close? The Cupertino Union School District (CUSD), has set up the Surplus Property 7-11 Committee to deal with this very issue.
Reframing and improving the conversation
Given that the current trend in public school enrollment, as reported by Statista, continues to decline (Hawaii’s numbers show a projected loss of 17.4% between 2021 and 2031, followed closely by California, New Mexico, New York, and West Virginia), so administrators and district leaders have even more reason to find ways forward that help soothe the pain that closures cause.
Reducing the pain of closures begins with a reframing of the conversation. In Indianapolis, the school district’s reorganization proposal, Rebuilding Stronger, provides a clear example of how the superintendent and administrators can communicate the community experience. Some key takeaways for district leaders facing school restructuring include:
- Sharing data that clearly shows why closures and consolidations are necessary: A commissioned analysis revealed the need for $500 million in improvements and 18,500 open seats districtwide.
- Emphasizing a reallocation of resources toward high-quality programs and facility upgrades: Sixteen Indianapolis schools will get new buildings or renovations, and offerings to students will increase to include STEM, as well as visual and performing arts, dual language, and academically gifted programs.
- Providing school choice: Students can choose from any one of the schools within their zone and receive the necessary transportation.
District staffers tasked with navigating school closures and consolidations may also benefit from the assistance of outside advisors, who can help them create a successful outcome.
Parental involvement
Another robust model for restructuring success is found in Oakland, California, where parental involvement helped direct attention to better academic choices for the district’s students. Restructuring discussions began with administrators listening to parents, who shared their desires for their children’s education. The resulting policy action was the Opportunity Ticket, which gave students from Oakland’s failing schools the chance to attend its most desirable ones.
As Lakisha Young, CEO of The Oakland Reach, explained in her article outlining the experience, gaining parental trust was vital in moving forward: “It wasn’t easy, but parents trusted us. Unlike special-interest folks protesting in front of these schools, our parent ‘liberators’ came from the community.” But with that trust came a shared commitment and community engagement.
The Oakland and Indianapolis districts share a vision focusing primarily on the possibilities ahead instead of the current problems and politics. This vision, delivered through clear communication, feedback implementation, and thoughtful planning, can help reduce the genuine challenges faced by districts confronting closures and consolidations.
