Article
Disposable spaces: How special education enrollment affects school closures
Urban Education
(2022)
Abstract
Informed by austerity politics, struggling school districts have closed buildings to pursue cost savings. We investigate the factors affecting which schools are shuttered, proposing that the share of students with an Individualized Education Program (SIEP) influences the way building utilization is measured because of the different instructional spaces required. We examine the case of elementary schools in Chicago, where 44 of 402 schools were closed in 2013. Simulating administrative decision-making parameters with a logistic regression model and demographic, student, and school data, we find that Chicago Public Schools was more likely to close school buildings with higher shares of SIEPs. Such punitive measures reflect the politics of austerity and disposability, leaving students with disabilities, particularly those in low-income neighborhoods of color, with fewer educational options.
Keywords
- Chicago,
- school closure,
- special education,
- austerity,
- disability
Disciplines
Publication Date
2022
DOI
10.1177/00420859221126700
Citation Information
Rachel Weber, Federico R. Waitoller and Joshua Drucker. "Disposable spaces: How special education enrollment affects school closures" Urban Education (2022) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jdrucker/52/