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Big US School Systems Are Losing Students

时间:2022-08-11 02:27:54

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Across the United States, pandemic aid money is helping1 to fund a growing number of big-city schools with shrinking numbers of students.

When the money runs out in a few years, officials will face a difficult choice: Keep the schools open despite the financial difficulty, or close them, upsetting communities looking for stability for their children.

The summer program at Chalmers School of Excellence2 in Chicago, Illinois, offers one-on-one teaching that parents love. But school principal Romian Crockett worries the school is becoming too small. Chalmers lost almost one-third of its enrollment3 during the pandemic. Today, only 215 students attend Chalmers.

In Chicago, COVID-19 worsened enrollment declines that began before the virus. Some poor Black neighborhoods in the city, like Chalmers' North Lawndale, have seen families leave in large numbers over the past 10 years.

The number of small schools like Chalmers is growing in many American cities. More than one in five New York City elementary schools had fewer than 300 students last school year. In Los Angeles, California, over one in four have fewer than 300 students. In Chicago, nearly one in three are that small. In Boston, Massachusetts, it is almost one in two. These numbers come from research by Chalkbeat and The Associated Press.

Many of these schools were not designed to be small. Educators worry there will smaller budgets in the coming years, even as schools continue to recover from the pandemic.

"When you lose kids, you lose resources," Crockett said. "That impacts your ability to serve kids with very high needs."

A state law prevents Chicago from closing or combining its schools until 2025. Across the U.S., COVID-19 relief money is helping fund shrinking schools. It is unclear what will happen to those schools when the funding runs out.

"My worry is that we will shut down when we have all worked so hard," said Yvonne Wooden, who serves on Chalmers' school council. "That would really hurt our neighborhood."

The pandemic quickened enrollment declines in many districts. Many families started homeschooling or sought enrollment at charter schools and private schools. Some students moved away or stopped attending school for unknown reasons.

Many districts like Chicago give schools money for each individual student. That means small schools sometimes struggle to pay for costs like the principal, a counselor4 or building upkeep.

To deal with that, many school systems send extra money to small schools, taking money from larger schools. In Chicago, the district spends an average of $19,000 yearly per student at small high schools. Students at larger high schools get $10,000, Chalkbeat and the AP found.

Small schools are popular with families, teachers and community members because of their supportive environment. Some argue that districts should send more money into these schools. Many such schools are in Black and Latino neighborhoods that have been hit hard by the pandemic.

In 2013, 50 schools closed in Chicago. Most were in Black neighborhoods. The move damaged trust between locals and the district. It also hurt learning for students from poor families, researchers at the University of Chicago found.

When schools close, it is "devastating5" for families, said Suleika Soto. She is with the Boston Education Justice Alliance, which supports underrepresented students.

"And then if parents don't like it, then they'll remove their children from the public school system," she said.

Still, some city school systems losing students are considering school closures. Earlier this year, the school board in Oakland, California, voted to close several small schools despite protests.

In other cities, leaders have continued to invest in small schools.

Chicago received $2.8 billion in COVID-19 relief. It will use about $140 million of the money to help small schools this school year, officials said.

In Los Angeles and New York City, officials say they are centering their efforts on bringing students back into school, not closing them.

But federal relief money will run out in two years. Districts must use the money by September 2024. When the money is no longer there, it may be difficult for districts to keep small schools open.

"It's a huge problem," said Bruce Fuller, an education researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. "It's going to be increasingly difficult for superintendents7 to justify8 keeping these places open as the number of these schools continues to rise."

Words in This Story

stability — n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change

enrollment — v. to enter as a member of or participant in something

impact — n. the act or force of one thing hitting another

devastating — adj. causing great damage or harm

superintendent6 — n. a person who directs or manages a place, department, organization, etc.


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1 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
2 excellence ZnhxM     
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德
参考例句:
  • His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
  • My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
3 enrollment itozli     
n.注册或登记的人数;登记
参考例句:
  • You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
  • I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。
4 counselor czlxd     
n.顾问,法律顾问
参考例句:
  • The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
  • Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。
5 devastating muOzlG     
adj.毁灭性的,令人震惊的,强有力的
参考例句:
  • It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
  • Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。
6 superintendent vsTwV     
n.监督人,主管,总监;(英国)警务长
参考例句:
  • He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
  • He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。
7 superintendents 89312ee92e8a4cafd8b00b14592c93a7     
警长( superintendent的名词复数 ); (大楼的)管理人; 监管人; (美国)警察局长
参考例句:
  • Unlike their New York counterparts, Portland school superintendents welcomed McFarlane. 这一次,地点是在波特兰。
  • But superintendents and principals have wide discretion. 但是,地方领导和校长有自由裁量权。
8 justify j3DxR     
vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护
参考例句:
  • He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
  • Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗?

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