1,156 Schools Closed Last Academic Year: A Planning Checklist for Receiving Schools

Big Local News at Stanford University looked at federal data and counted 1,156 school closures in the last academic year, The Hechinger Report writes (The Hechinger Report). The same reporting says enrollment has dropped much faster than the number of schools, which points to harder budget choices for more districts (The Hechinger Report).

In the Vallejo school district, the district's executive director for operations described piles of unlabeled boxes and classroom furniture that were meant to go to other schools and never arrived (The Hechinger Report). Empty campuses also left the district paying more for security (The Hechinger Report).

In the first week, a third grade teacher at a receiving school had 34 children assigned to her room, with desks packed close together (The Hechinger Report). A parent demanded to know why her son's disability records had not reached his new school, and 7 percent of the district's teachers that first day were substitutes (The Hechinger Report).

Inventory and label classroom equipment before the move, and name one person who confirms that each item arrives.

Check that special education files and accommodation plans reach the new school before students do. Walk each receiving classroom with its teacher and plan the layout for the new class size. Look at shared spaces such as the gym, library or multipurpose room, and decide which activities can move there when classrooms are full. Plan a welcome activity for the first weeks that mixes students from both schools.

BEAM Mobile uses a wheeled stand for floor and table projection, without a ceiling-mounted installation, so it can move between rooms. EyeWiz projects activities onto floors, walls and tables, and the supported surfaces depend on the model. No internet connection is needed for day-to-day use, because games and activities run locally on the device.

EyeWiz content covers pre-K through 12th grade, including math, literacy, science, social-emotional learning, physical education and special education. EyeWiz has modes for different abilities and quick adjustments to speed, difficulty and sensory settings. In the EyeWiz Hub, teachers create lesson-aligned activities from ready-made game templates and share them with other teachers.

If you are planning shared spaces for a receiving school, you can see how EyeWiz works here: See EyeWiz interactive learning for schools.

The Hechinger Report, published 2026-11-09

The Hechinger Report, published 2026-11-09