US school closures are accelerating, but more financial pain lies ahead

U.S. school closures are accelerating as districts grapple with declining birth rates and shrinking federal funding. A recent analysis shows 1,156 schools closed during the last academic year, the highest number since the pandemic. Research indicates that student enrollment is falling faster than campuses are closing, signaling that school districts across the country will face increasingly difficult financial decisions in the coming years as they attempt to manage their budgets.