Public school districts across the region are facing dropping enrollment, budget cuts, and other financial strains. Many districts are planning for school consolidation and closures as a solution.
Closing schools is one way to preserve resources and balance budgets, but it’s a deeply personal matter to families, teachers, administrators, and the broader community.
Two of the school districts that have announced they’re weighing options for school closures in coming years: Evergreen Public Schools in Washington, and Salem-Kaizer in Oregon.
We speak with Will Denner, education reporter at The Columbian as well as Eddy Binford-Ross, a Report for America Fellow who covers education for the Salem Reporter. They share more about the challenges the districts are facing and the solutions they’re deliberating.
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