Dive Brief:
- Atlanta Public Schools is considering closing school buildings and redistricting over the next few years, pushed by enrollment declines and empty seats across one of Georgia’s largest districts.
- The district is likewise looking at everything from consolidations to mergers and new facilities as part of a broader facilities plan that it is calling “a bold and necessary effort,” according to a statement it released on Monday. APS has yet to share how many schools are susceptible to potential closures or related changes.
- Any unused buildings would be repurposed to serve community needs, per the district’s announcement on its facilities planning — which is still in early stages.
Dive Insight:
As of the 2024-25 school year, the district was only utilizing about 65% of its seats, according to its enrollment and school facility utilization report released in December. Projections suggest that enrollment will keep utilization hovering around that percentage until the 2029-30 school year. Currently, that means the district has more than 21,000 open seats.
More recent data released in May as part of a draft report by HPM, a management firm hired by APS that oversees district construction projects, expects enrollment to decline from 49,944 students in the 2024-25 school year to 48,000 students in the 2028-29 school year.
The largest percentage decrease during this time is expected to be in its elementary schools, according to the report. The district has 75 learning facilities, of which 49 are elementary or K-8, per the draft report.
Atlanta Public Schools’ planning for enrollment decline comes as other districts nationwide are facing similar enrollment drops and decisions.
Last month, Missouri’s St. Louis Public Schools proposed closing more than half, or 37 of its 68 schools, over just the next two school years. The district anticipates losing over 2,500 students by the 2025-26 school year. Student enrollment is projected to drop 30% over the next decade.
The K-12 sector received a negative outlook from Moody’s Ratings for 2025, with enrollment pressures among the top factors behind the industry’s instability noted. Other factors included rising costs and slowing revenue.
The Moody’s report showed enrollment pressures were expected to mount partly as a result of declining birthrates and public schools’ competition for students with charter and private schools.
