Imminent school closures loom ahead, disproportionately impacting African American and Hispanic students.
In sunny Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, school bells rang for the last time at Washington Elementary on a hot May Tuesday, but little Malaysia Robertson, 9, refused to leave. She'd spent most of her nascent life in that small, public neighborhood school, and the thought of saying goodbye to her friends and teachers was too much to bear.
"We were running down the hall, crying and everything," Malaysia recalled with tears welling up in her eyes. The parking lot remained filled with students, families, and teachers long past 4 p.m., as they shared heartfelt goodbyes and bid adieu to their cherished community school.
The school board's decision to permanently close six schools in spring, influenced by the district's shrinking student body after the pandemic, has sent shockwaves through Jefferson Parish. With a declining public school enrollment of nearly 10% since the pandemic began, the need for school closures is viewed as a logical necessity by district officials. Data reveals that last school year, approximately 1 in 3 available student seats remained unfilled, while several buildings housed barely half their intended student population.
"We have schools that are underutilized - that's a fact," declared school board Vice President Derrick Shepherd at the April vote. "Math cannot be changed."
Yet, community advocates and civil rights lawyers argue that the closures are not only detrimental to families like the Robertsons, but also discriminatory. While white students make up nearly a quarter of the district's enrollment, they constitute only 12% of the students affected by the closures, suggesting an unfair distribution.
The complaints filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center allege that the closures discriminate against students based on race and fail to communicate essential information to families who speak limited English. The Department of Education has yet to announce if it will investigate either complaint.
As civil rights groups and researchers voice concerns over the potential exacerbation of educational inequalities, experts predict that other school districts across the nation may soon face similar challenges, as more than one million students have yet to return to public school post-pandemic. By 2031, national public school enrollment is estimated to drop by 5% or more, drastically altering the landscape of American education.
A reanalyzed research by economist Douglas N. Harris and his team revealed that schools with a higher percentage of students of color are more likely to close down compared to those with more white students, often due to historical inequalities resulting in less investment, lower test scores, and more run-down buildings. Even when comparable schools are compared, those with a greater share of Black and Hispanic students are more likely to close, raising concerns that the declining public school enrollment and subsequent school closures may widen educational disparities.
To families like the Robertsons, the school board's decision has been heartbreaking. With her eldest daughter now thriving at Washington after a turbulent fourth-grade experience at another school, Cheryl Earl, Malaysia's aunt, is torn between keeping her daughters enrolled at the nearby Catholic private school and watching their school community disintegrate. As schools close, the rippling effects of lost academic performance, decreased community engagement, and the erasure of valuable histories can be felt for years to come.
According to Molly F. Gordon, a research scientist at the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center, when Chicago closed nearly 50 public schools in 2013, the anticipated benefits for the affected students failed to materialize, with students still graduating at lower rates and showcasing poorer academic performance even after four years. The estimated costs savings were also much lower than initially projected.
With dwindling resources and a changing educational landscape, many school districts are contemplating their next steps. Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, suggests that districts prioritize planning and performance when considering school closures. By carefully relocating students to better-performing schools and being transparent with families about the rationale for the move, districts can mitigate the disruption and ensure a smoother transition for affected students.
However, in Jefferson Parish, the closure of top-performing high schools Grace King and Henry Allen has raised eyebrows and sparked controversy, as students will be shuffled to lower-performing schools, exacerbating educational inequality.
For families like Lillie Magee, the prospect of her grandsons being reassigned to their former high school rival is a cause for concern, as they have built close bonds with their previous teachers and coaches. With her eldest grandson now transitioning to a school ranked second-worst in the district by performance, Magee feels helpless, sharing, "How they treated us, it's just so unfair."
As the future of public education hangs in the balance, communities, advocates, and policy-makers must work together to ensure a smooth transition for those affected by school closures, focusing on equity and performance as key guiding principles for a brighter educational future.
- The school closures in Jefferson Parish, influenced by the shrinking student body after the pandemic, have sparked controversies and concerns about educational inequality.
- Education advocates and civil rights lawyers argue that the closures are discriminatory, affecting a higher percentage of students from racial minorities.
- Experts predict that other school districts across the nation may soon face similar challenges, exacerbating educational inequalities as more students continue to eschew public education.
- To mitigate the disruption caused by school closures, experts recommend school districts prioritize planning and performance, relocating students to better-performing schools and being transparent with families about the rationale.
- In line with these recommendations, policy-makers and educators must work together to ensure a focus on equity and performance as key principles for a brighter educational future.
- As the future of public education hangs in the balance, it is essential to maintain a watchful eye on legislation and education policies that may further widen educational disparities, advocating for a more inclusive and equitable public education system.
