Some still believe the population is expanding rapidly. If that is the case, why are schools and colleges closing all over the U.S. due to declining enrollments?
- Decreasing enrollment prompts North Fork school districts to expand shared services agreement – The Suffolk Times (timesreview.com)
- Oakland’s charter schools face enrollment challenges, too (oaklandside.org)
- UMaine Orono dips into reserves amid declining enrollment – Portland Press Herald
- Bellevue parents say consolidating schools is an equity issue | Crosscut: “Citing shrinking enrollment, the school district may close some elementaries”
- Portland Public Schools announces hiring freeze amid budget issues | KATU: “claiming it’s because of shrinking enrollment and uncertain funding.” (they blame the pandemic, of course, not Oregon’s 1.39 fertility rate)
- Declining enrollment, empty schools, union battles: Mayoral candidates grapple with big challenges in Chicago Public Schools – Chicago Tribune
- D51 hosts town halls to hear community feedback on declining enrollment, solutions | Western Colorado | gjsentinel.com: ““I see a lot of things happening in the world of education right now; specifically, a lot of districts are coping with a significant amount of enrollment decline”
- Northmont district may close elementary school amid declining enrollment (daytondailynews.com)
- Enrollment declines increase pressure on ‘woke’ higher ed – Santa Barbara News-Press (newspress.com)
- NCCC still seeing declining enrollment | Local News | lockportjournal.com
- Cal State contends with ‘unprecedented’ enrollment declines – capradio.org (California’s fertility rate is 1.52)
- With student pool shrinking, some predict a year of college closings (hechingerreport.org) (35 colleges closed in 2021, and 48 in 2022, more expected in 2023)
- Washington Central board agrees it’s time to plan | Local News | timesargus.com (Montpelier/Barre VT): “The longer term forecast isn’t any better with all six schools expected to hit new lows in 2026 when a projected 677 of the district’s 1,218 students will be enrolled at U-32.” That’s down from 1,575 in 2020.
- Sonoma Valley Unified considers closing schools amid declining enrollment | EdSource
- We need to prepare now for the school closures that are coming | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute
- Cal State plans penalty for college enrollment decline – CalMatters
- Colorado public school enrollment continues to fall (denverpost.com)
According to this, the US fertility rate has now fallen to 1.64, lower than the 1.8 figure I have been using.
