In America, the number of students in schools in urban areas is declining. The number of children in the country decreased by one million in the ten years to 2020 due to a decline in the population rate and a decrease in the number of people coming from other countries. There is another problem in many big cities. People are leaving the city and going to smaller towns. In Chicago's main public school district (schools run with the help of the government and trusts), the number of students decreased by twenty percent in ten years. Los Angeles has decreased by 25 percent. Officials say there could be a further 25 percent decline by 2030. The pandemic has increased this problem. three years after the pandemic Student enrollment in New York City public schools dropped 10 percent in 2015. In the surrounding areas, the decline is up to 20 percent.
Due to the lack of students, the need to close schools in some cities is increasing. Douglas Harris of Tulane University says the rate of closure of charter schools is 5 percent and private is 1 percent. According to the local government, a third of the school buildings in Chicago are half empty. Only a few urban schools are taking the problem seriously, says Marguerite Rosa, an expert in school finance at Georgetown University. School unions have sought higher salaries and bonuses even in areas where student enrollment has declined due to the extra help the pandemic has brought. This will cause more problems next year.
