How closing rural schools can hurt communities

When a rural public school closes, the fallout can be devastating to the students and to the community in general, Mara Casey Tieken writes for The Conversation. Tieken, who researches rural education, notes that schools are often closed to save money, but the minimal research that exists on the topic suggests that savings are minimal.

"As I explained in my book on rural schools, in many rural communities, schools are the largest employer," Tieken reports. "They provide political power, and they tie people together. Once the schools are gone, the community loses all of these benefits: There are smaller crowds at the diner and fewer seats on the school board. Property values may also decline." Moreover, she writes, "the demise of local schools can also lead to the closure of local businesses and expedite population losses."

Meanwhile, rural students often must spend a considerable amount of time on the school bus each day. In an example from rural Arkansas, Tiekan writes that students face a nearly two-hour bus ride each way. Students and parents are also less likely to get involved with after-school clubs and sports, even if their new school has more options. That's likely because of the longer commute, she writes.

School closure generally hurts students' grades in the short-term; long-term effects are mixed, and vary depending on the school district. "Closing a school can disrupt students’ relationships with peers and teachers and cause confusion and uncertainty. Some studies have shown an increase in absenteeism, though the effects may fade over time," Tieken writes.

School closures happen for a host of different reasons, often because of policies meant to save money, increase academic performance, and give disadvantaged students access to better opportunities. Other times, schools are forced to close because of laws that penalize schools with low standardized test scores. "These policies rest on two, usually unstated, assumptions. First, the threat of closure will encourage better teaching. Second, if a school closes, its students will get a better education elsewhere," Tieken writes. Also, some schools are forced to close when states require schools to offer new programs or pay staff more but don't provide extra funding, as happened in New York and Texas.