Families across North Carolina are adjusting to a new normal – multiple school closures as districts change course based on rising expenses, falling enrollment and slower birth rates.
Almost 60 schools have closed statewide since 2022, WRAL News reported after using data from the Department of Public Instruction.
“The teachers know [the students] and see them grow up through the years. I definitely don’t want my child to have to go to multiple schools,” Amanda Taylor told the news outlet. “Maybe this year it’s Wilton (Elementary School), then they get transferred in next year, it’s another one.”
Wilton is closing at the end of this school year, which will save Granville County Public Schools almost $600,000 annually, according to the district superintendent.
“A school, oftentimes, is the anchor of a community, and generations pass through those doors,” Superintendent Stan Winborne said. “Unfortunately, the business side of things often is what really is driving the decisions. Budgets are extremely tight in public education, and we need to make every dollar count.”
