A recent national study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute identified eight Jefferson County Public Schools as potential candidates for closure due to low enrollments and poor academic performance. The study, published in September, examined nearly 500 under-enrolled and chronically low-achieving schools across the U.S., based on standardized test scores. While acknowledging the harm of forcing students to switch schools, the study suggests that closures can improve educational opportunities and financial stability for the district if students are placed in better schools. The schools flagged for closure had lost at least 20% of their student population between 2019 and 2023 and received the state’s “Comprehensive Support and Improvement” designation.
