Unintended Consequences of the Largest (Austerity-Driven) School Consolidation on Academic Achievement.

Policymakers mainly close schools due to low performance or to austerity mandates. There is evidence about the consequences of closures due to low performance with respect to academic achievement. The literature is thinner regarding closures due to austerity pressures, however. Seeking fiscal economies, Puerto Rico closed 34% of its schools in two years, which would thus be one of the most intense school closings reported. Drawing from the availability of data at student level, we found that this broad consolidation had negative effects on the academic achievement of displaced students, especially at the primary school level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]