Pandemic-Related Private School Closures Ebb
The Cato Institute –a libertarian think tank and school choice advocate –has published data on permanent private school closures since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic . At its height, Cato recorded 138 closures, with 6 alone in April of 2021. Closures have slowed since then, with eight total closures in the past three months, four of which “were explicitly linked to the pandemic’s effects,” according to the latest report.
The majority of closures came between April and August of 2020, when the “initial shock and uncertainty” of the pandemic forced many financially troubled schools to shut their doors.
The average tuition of schools on the closure list was below the national average, and over half of the closures occurred in areas where the median family income is below the national average, as well, the report continued. Cato noted that just as the economic impact of the pandemic hit low-income families the hardest, it also disproportionately hurt private schools in low-income areas.
The report was optimistic, pointing out that, when it comes to school closures, “no news is good news.” Cato was nevertheless cautious about this upcoming school year and raised concerns about the spread of the Delta variant in the U.S. and the possible confusion arising from state and federal policies. Cato cited the 9th Circuit’s recent ruling in Brach v. Newsom, which concluded that California’s COVID-19 closures infringed upon a constitutional right for parents to choose their children’s schools. The think tank also cited Governor DeSantis’ recent executive order banning mask mandates in schools in illustration of how private schools may navigate around state orders.