School Closings in Chicago – Understanding Families’ Choices and Constraints for New School Enrollment
(…)
While school closures may have potentially positive financial and academic effects, they are inevitably disruptive and burdensome for families and communities. This is particularly true in a “choice” system, where families may opt to send their children to schools outside of their attendance area boundary.
(…)
More research is needed to examine how the transition year went for families and students. It is important to investigate how affected students do academically, socially, and behaviorally in their new school settings and to unpack which school characteristics matter most for improving student outcomes. Lastly, not much is known about how closing schools affects teachers and other staff or the impact closing schools has on the composition of the entire school staff. Cultivating a better understanding of the impact of closing schools on families, students, and school staff could help districts facilitate better educational experiences and student outcomes in the future.