Crisis killing small schools

Faced with spiraling budget deficits, school districts across the country are closing their small schools and consolidating students into larger schools and larger classrooms here, here, here, and here.

The school closings bring with them teacher lay-offs, accompanying cuts in school services and after-school programs, and more disruption in children’s lives. Larger, more anonymous school settings are also raising the risk of serious school violence. Economic pressures combined with possible cuts in federal and foundation big-school restructuring dollars could combine to sound the death knell for the small schools movement.

Also see Van's comments on the Littleton school closings, below.