Large school systems including Los Angeles Unified School District are beginning the 2026-27 school year considering closures and consolidations as enrollment challenges persist.
In a recent video shared with LAUSD community members, Superintendent Andrés Chait discussed the district’s enrollment trends, noting that the number of LAUSD students has dropped from more than 700,000 in 2002-03 to a current projection of fewer than 400,000 students.
In a separate presentation to LAUSD board members on Sept. 15, the district reported that 373,538 students were enrolled so far this school year. That enrollment figure is nearly 1% lower than the district anticipated in its adopted budget. A 1% enrollment decrease would equate to a revenue loss of about $60 million, the district said.
LAUSD said the drop in enrollment is being driven by declining birthrates, families moving away due to a lack of affordable housing, and changes in immigration and out-of-state migration. Though there are almost half as many students in the district now compared to over 20 years ago, Chait said LAUSD has continued to operate nearly the same number of school campuses.
“That matters, because enrollment affects what a school can provide,” Chait said. “When a school has very few students, it can be harder to offer the experience our students deserve.”
These enrollment declines can mean that elementary students across grade levels share classrooms, and high school students have fewer choices, electives, advanced courses, career pathways and extracurricular activities, Chait said.
Chait said the district’s goal is about more than shrinking the number of schools. “Our goal is to have stronger schools,” he added, saying that such decisions can also help reduce costs.
These pending changes come as LAUSD also faces fiscal challenges. The district reported that while its 2025-26 operating fund expenditures decreased, its costs still surpassed revenue.
In a Sept. 15 letter to the LAUSD board president, the Los Angeles County Office of Education said the district’s budget “projections portray an unsustainable use of fund balances.” Additionally, the letter stated that the district is “not projected to meet its minimum required reserve in FY 2027-28 nor FY 2028-29.”
The enrollment challenges and closure considerations are not unique to LAUSD and are ongoing for many districts nationwide. During the 2025-26 school year alone, large districts like Pittsburgh Public Schools and Houston Independent School District approved sweeping school closures amid enrollment declines.
More large districts weigh closures
With another school year kicking off, school closures remain on the table for other districts.
Albuquerque Public Schools — New Mexico’s largest school district — announced on Sept. 16 that its board of education approved a resolution to start a districtwide community engagement process to discuss facility and enrollment planning.
The district stressed that no decisions have been made about school closures or consolidations. However, the district will spend the fall gathering input from the school community on the matter before any formal recommendations are proposed.
Albuquerque Public Schools reported that its enrollment dropped from 84,000 students to under 64,000 between 2018 and the end of the 2025-26 school year. Those trends are due to declining birthrates and families with school-age children moving out of state, the district said.
Albuquerque Public Schools’ leadership also stressed how these enrollment declines limit student opportunities and school experiences. “As school populations decrease, it becomes harder to sustain the same programs, services and staffing,” said Randy Mahlerwein, deputy superintendent for leadership and learning, in a Sept. 16 statement.
In Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools suggested on Sept. 15 that its board consider removing academic programming from as many as 16 school buildings. If the board approves those changes, the district said there would be no "immediate and specific plans" to repurpose those “unprogrammed buildings.” Moving forward, uses of those buildings may include providing early childhood service, community education, athletic and activity spaces, or schools if enrollment grows in the future.
As those decisions are pending, Minneapolis Public Schools is eyeing strategies to boost enrollment. Its goals include increasing kindergarten enrollment, bridging student transitions between elementary and middle schools, and improving overall retention of students when they advance grade levels.
Oregon’s Portland Public Schools is also weighing the closure of up to 18 schools as it faces enrollment declines. District leaders have stressed that without closures, there could be changes in staffing, programming and school resources as enrollment is expected to keep decreasing.
