Here Comes “The Big Shrink”

BY Jordan Wagner
Illustration depicted figures walking away from a school; figures are decreasing in size (and age) with an arrow showing the downward trend above the figures.

Marguerite Roza
Published September 2025 on School Business Now

Districts across the country are heading into an era of shrinking enrollment resulting in lower revenues. With labor costs consuming a large share of most budgets, leaders won’t be able to avoid tough choices. Done right, shrinking can be a chance to build smaller, stronger, and more effective school systems for the students who remain.

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