Every community relies on its schools, not just for education, but as a place where children grow, where friendships are formed and futures are shaped. In New York, however, many high schools have closed their doors, leaving students, families, and entire neighborhoods facing uncertainty. These closures aren’t just numbers on a report—they represent a deeper issue within the public school system. Schools that once served as the heart of their communities are now struggling to stay open. It’s crucial to explore the reasons behind these closures and understand the profound effects they have on students, educators, and the communities that depend on them.
Causes of High School Closures in New York
High school closures in New York are the result of multiple, interconnected challenges. From academic underperformance to shifting demographics and alternative education models, these factors have created a perfect storm for many schools. Understanding these causes is essential to addressing the broader issues affecting public education in the city.
Underperformance and Failing Grades
A major cause of high school closures in New York is the consistent underperformance of schools. When schools fail to meet the state’s academic standards they often end up on the Department of Education’s watch list. These schools are given a limited timeframe to improve their performance, typically measured through standardized test scores, graduation rates, and other metrics. If they are unable to turn things around, the state may step in and decide to close the school.
This pattern disproportionately affects schools in lower-income areas, where resources are already stretched thin. These schools often lack access to updated textbooks, advanced technologies, and adequate extracurricular activities. Teachers, too, are overburdened, managing overcrowded classrooms without the necessary support for professional development. As a result, students in these schools are often the ones who suffer the most, leading to a vicious cycle of low performance and eventual closure. For the students, the closure of their school means the disruption of their education and being forced to attend other schools, which may also be struggling to keep up with state standards.
Declining Enrollment
Another significant factor in the closure of high schools is declining enrollment. Over the past decade, many urban areas in New York have seen a shift in population, with middle-class families moving out of the city in search of better schooling options in the suburbs. This demographic change leaves many high schools with fewer students, and fewer students mean fewer resources. Public school funding is tied to the number of students enrolled, so when enrollment declines, schools are left struggling to cover operational costs. In some cases, the student population drops so low that it becomes financially unsustainable for the school to remain open.
Declining enrollment is not just a numbers game; it reflects a broader dissatisfaction with the public school system. Families are seeking alternatives: charter schools, private schools, even homeschooling. This leaves traditional public high schools in urban areas with shrinking student bodies and less funding to provide quality education.
Shift Toward Alternative Educational Models
The rise of alternative educational models is another key contributor to high school closures in New York. In recent years, there has been a significant shift toward charter schools, online education, and other non-traditional forms of learning. Charter schools, in particular, have become a popular choice for families seeking better educational opportunities for their children. These schools, while publicly funded, operate independently of the traditional public school system, offering more flexibility in terms of curriculum and administration.
As charter schools continue to expand, they draw students away from traditional public high schools, further contributing to declining enrollment in the latter. This exodus has created a competitive environment where traditional public schools, already struggling with limited resources, are left trying to attract and retain students. Unfortunately, for many high schools, the competition is too great and they are forced to close their doors.
Discipline and Violence
A less discussed but equally important factor in the closure of high schools is the culture of discipline and violence that plagues many of these schools. In some urban high schools, poor discipline and a lack of structure contribute to an environment where learning becomes secondary to managing disruptive behavior. In more extreme cases, violence becomes a regular occurrence, making the school a dangerous place for both students and staff.
These issues create a toxic atmosphere where students are unable to focus on their education, teachers are demoralized, and parents lose faith in the school’s ability to provide a safe learning environment. Over time, this can lead to an exodus of students and teachers, further exacerbating the challenges the school faces and leading to its eventual closure.
Effects of High School Closures
The closure of a high school has immediate and long-lasting effects on the students who attend that school. In the short term, students experience significant disruptions in their education. Under the Michael Bloomberg administration in New York City, many students were forced to transfer to new schools, often far from their homes. The sudden change in environment, along with the need to make new friends and adapt to new teachers, was overwhelming for many.
In the long term, these closures can have a negative impact on students’ academic performance and mental health. Studies have shown that students who are displaced by school closures are more likely to experience higher dropout rates and lower academic achievement. Additionally, the emotional toll of losing their school community can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.
The closure of a high school also has ripple effects on the local economy. Teachers and staff often face job instability, as they are either laid off or forced to transfer to other schools. This transience can lead to a loss of experienced educators who are familiar with the unique challenges of urban schools. Local businesses that rely on the daily traffic generated by students and staff also suffer. Cafes, convenience stores, and other small businesses near high schools often see a decline in revenue when a school closes, further straining the local economy. The loss of a school can leave a void in the community that is difficult to fill, both economically and socially.
What’s Next for New York’s Public Schools?
In response to these closures, the New York Department of Education is taking steps to address the root causes. New teacher evaluation practices, updated tenure protocols, and extensive training for teachers and administrators are part of the reform efforts. There is also a push for curriculum overhauls that better reflect the needs of urban students.
Local communities are playing a more active role in advocating for the survival of their schools. Parents and community leaders are pushing for more resources, smaller class sizes, and increased support for teachers. These efforts are essential to reversing the trend of high school closures and ensuring that all students have access to quality education.
The schools that were closed in New York had to deal with a population woefully delinquent in academic preparation, the majority of their incoming students reading way below par. The ultimate remedy for improving high school academic performance would be to improve the preparation of students who graduate from middle school. But that seems to have been beyond the grasp of the Department of Education, and the high schools are still flooded with fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds who have been socially promoted out of the eighth grade; and the challenge thus falls to the high schools to compensate for this delinquency.
Conclusion
The closure of high schools in New York represents a significant crisis with deep-rooted causes and far-reaching consequences. As detailed in Slow Death by Ernest Oliveri, this issue stems from a range of factors, including academic underperformance, declining student enrollment and the increasing popularity of alternative educational models like parochial and charter schools. Each of these challenges contributes to the steady dismantling of traditional public schools, creating a crisis that goes beyond mere statistics.
The effects of these closures are profound, particularly for students, teachers, and the broader communities. Students faced disrupted education and emotional strain as they were forced to transfer to new schools, often in unfamiliar environments. Teachers, too, experience instability, as job losses and transfers disrupt their careers and their ability to maintain consistent classroom instruction. Additionally, local communities suffer when schools, which often serve as neighborhood cornerstones, are shuttered, leading to a loss of jobs and economic impact.
Oliveri’s Slow Death emphasizes the urgency of addressing these problems, urging continued reform and advocacy to preserve New York’s public schools. Without action, the long-term effects of these closures will continue to hinder the futures of students who rely on these schools for their education and personal growth. The call for reform is clear: saving New York’s high schools is critical to ensuring that students receive the quality education they deserve. The time for action is now, and those passionate about education reform must step forward to protect the future of public education in New York.