Closing schools due to a lack of students can be very difficult for parents, students, teachers, and the community. But it is necessary to ensure that most of our dollars go into the classroom — where learning takes place.
The Anchorage School District has tried to close neighborhood elementary schools in the past year, but has faced strong opposition from parents.
Here is the Anchorage School District’s problem in a nutshell.
The total “program capacity” for elementary schools today would hold 26,432 students.
The actual number of students in 2022 was 19,484, a nearly 7,000 student excess capacity.
There is even a further downward trend in the future until the projected number of elementary students is 16,826 in 2027, nearly 10,000 students fewer than the district’s capacity.
How does the Anchorage School District close its excess school infrastructure and ensure that its resources go to the classrooms?
A great place to start is to look at school districts who have effectively done that.
In Colorado, Jefferson County (Jeffco) public schools has successfully closed 16 elementary schools and 4 more are to close next year.