School closures in the United States increased after 1986, reaching 700 in 1990. A slight decline followed between 1996 and 2000, averaging 270 yearly closures. However, the trend reversed after 2000, peaking in 2016 with nearly 1,300 closures. The declining enrollment rate and insufficient funding led to several school closures. Since then, the number has been declining, with 365 school closures reported in 2023 and 14 in the first five months of 2024.