It’s been a rough couple of years for public schools on the chopping block for closings. Parents, students and communities as a whole feel targeted, even if school board members are quick to blame unbiased numbers. So who is right? The self-proclaimed objective board members and politicians who say students will attend better-performing schools and that the money saved will go to other educational initiatives? Or the parents, teachers and students that say there shouldn’t be a price tag on quality education? Each of these districts, and many others around the nation, have individual circumstances. At the risk of sounding like a cynic, each school board member and politician has an agenda too – some virtuous in nature and others selfish. There is no concrete way to declare a winner in these cases; there is no formula for determining right or wrong
I think, though, when schools are viewed only for their monetary contributions (or lack thereof), there is an inherent problem. Schools are not short-term retailers that tally up profits at the end of each business day; the economic impact of students from strong public schools with enough teachers and space to go around is often not felt for years, or even decades. To call schools a societal burden that are half-full because of special education classrooms with a higher student-to-teacher ratio is flawed. To close underperforming schools punishes the very students who struggle and need the safety and stability of a neighborhood school – not one that they must take a 20-minute bus ride to attend.
Then there is the emotional impact of it all. Neighborhoods affected by school closings, and particularly the students impacted, face an inferiority complex. Why their schools? Why their neighborhoods? For families that already feel a sense of helplessness due to poverty and crime-ridden streets, the mental toll of being a target for a school closing weighs heavy. Maybe the judge ruled against those parents in Brevard County who claimed minority bias, but that doesn’t change how those communities feel in their hearts. We often associate our public schools solely with the well-being of our children, but they really do belong to entire communities. A school closing brings communal grief – for the jobs lost, for the children displaced and for never being able to know what could have been within the school walls. To flippantly toss these emotions aside and advise communities to simply “move on” just adds salt to the wounds.
There are times when a school closing is simply an inevitability but communities should first look for other solutions. Instead of shuttering underutilized public schools – icons of the community – districts should consider other neighborhood uses. Maybe a community center. Maybe adult education classes. Maybe a cooperation agreement with a local college that opens up the building for paid courses. Maybe even a health center, or location for other district office space. Closing public schools should not be a short-sighted procedure. The decision should look beyond immediacy, and 10-year plans, and focus on the only investment that really matters: quality, public education for all our nation’s children.
Yes!!! There is more to consider than just the bottom line when it comes to school closures. They take such a toll on the students and they bring down the morale of the entire community.
My kids’ school has been on the “chopping block” for a few years and it really causes some anxiety. We never know if it will be the next school to go — and it is always based on purely financial reasons. I understand that schools need to operate efficiently but I wish that decision makers would look beyond the dollar.
When it comes down to it, schools ARE businesses and at the end of the day. They have to be run in efficient ways that don’t just dump money down the drain. Sometimes the best plan is to close a school than to waste more money trying to save it.