From Thomas B. Fordham Institute:

It’s worth remembering Andy Smarick’s outstanding piece, “Can Bad Schools Be Good for Neighborhoods?” In it, Smarick observes:

It might be the case that the school—notwithstanding its persistent low academic achievement—acts as an important strand in the invisible web of social connectivity that helps to hold a community together despite all the malign forces trying to pull it apart… those pursuing school-closure strategies should be mindful that every school, even the lowest-performing, is woven into the fabric of its neighborhood—and tugging on that thread affects the entire cloth.

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