Mass School Closures

Since 2017, Puerto Rico has closed over 600 public schools — nearly half of all schools on the island. This mass closure was driven by two factors: the population exodus following Hurricane María and austerity measures imposed by the PROMESA fiscal control board.

The closures have had devastating effects on communities:
- Students must travel longer distances, often without reliable transportation
- Closed schools served as community centers, emergency shelters, and gathering spaces
- Teachers and support staff lost their jobs, contributing to further population loss
- Many closed school buildings have been sold to private developers at below-market prices
- Special education students and students in rural areas have been disproportionately affected

Some closed schools have been converted to charter schools, a controversial privatization that critics argue undermines public education. The Puerto Rico Department of Education's budget has been cut repeatedly under fiscal board directives.

The school closures represent a vicious cycle: austerity measures cause population loss, which is then used to justify further closures and cuts, causing more population loss. For many Puerto Rican families, the closure of their neighborhood school was the final factor in their decision to leave the island.