Revisiting Research on School Closings: Key Learnings for District and Community Leaders

District leaders seeking to close schools often frame decisions as "right-sizing" or "modernizing the footprint" of the district. Historical influences such as population and economic shifts and desegregation during the civil rights era, and more recent factors like deteriorating building conditions, school performance "accountability" measures, declining enrollment, and the expansion of school choice policies have contributed to school closure decisions. Whatever language used, or factors considered, these consequential decisions often spark fierce community debate. In Pennsylvania, which operates one of the most inequitable public education systems in the nation, several communities have controversial histories of school closures, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and rural regions. Now, the prospect of future school closures again looms large as many districts have experienced several years of declining enrollment and face financial cliffs, challenges made worse in the wake of COVID-19. To inform community members and guide district leaders navigating these difficult decisions, this brief revisits Research for Action's 2013 Issue Brief on School Closings Policy. In this update, the authors focus on the inequitable impacts of school closures on students, staff, and surrounding communities, with particular attention to how systemic and historical inequities continue to influence the school closure process. The brief concludes with considerations from research on school closures for school district leaders and decision-makers contemplating closing schools that can better inform plans and address potential equity issues for students and surrounding communities.