Research on Impacts of School Closings:

  • Randall S. Sell, Socio-Economic Impacts of School Consolidation on Host and Vacated Communities (pdf), Agricultural Economics Report 347 (March 1996).

  • Thomas A. Lyson, What Does a School Mean to a Community? Assessing the Social and Economic Benefits of Schools to Rural Villages in New York (Word document), Journal of Research in Rural Education 17 (Winter 2002).

  • Closing Costs. A series of award-winning articles published in 2002 in the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette newspaper on the results of the state's massive school consolidation program.

    Two media reports typical of the issues that come up with school closings:

  • School closures threaten neighborhood ties. Missoulian newspaper, March 14, 2004.

  • Minneapolis board backs off from plan to close schools; and Critics blast plan to close Minneapolis schools. Minnesota Public Radio, February 24, 2004 and February 10, 2004.