Public schools’ big enrollment problem

Nearly every public school district in North Carolina has fewer students than before the pandemic: part of a larger trend happening across the country. Facing empty classrooms and dwindling dollars, many public school leaders are trying to figure out where all the kids went and what declining public school enrollment could mean for the communities they serve.

Featuring:

• Liz Schlemmer, education reporter for WUNC
• Alec MacGillis, reporter for ProPublica

Links:

• Check out Liz Schlemmer’s reporting on the enrollment decline here.
• Read Alec MacGillis’ reporting on school closures here.
• You can find a transcript of this episode here.