---
title: The Neighborhood Impact When School’s Out—Forever
date: 2026-06-29T16:50:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/the-neighborhood-impact-when-schools-out-forever"
section: Articles
---
# The Neighborhood Impact When School’s Out—Forever

*June 29, 2026* — by [Maggie Haslam](/author/maggie-haslam)


> 5 Hidden Costs of School Closures, According to UMD Researcher

*PE 1 1 1920x1080 — What happens following the closure of schools, including the former Thomas FitzSimons High School, built in Philadelphia in 1926, is the subject of a new book co-authored by urban studies and planning Associate Professor Ariel Bierbaum. (Photo by Amy J. Bach)*

For most U.S. cities, a public school is as multifunctional as a Swiss Army knife. Beyond a place for learning history and algebra, schools often double as disaster shelters, host community meetings, serve as neighborhood parks and polling sites, and even house food pantries.

Yet since 2000, thousands of public schools have been closed across the country, falling victim to aging buildings, the rise of charter schools, shrinking budgets and plunging birth rates.

These closures remove essential public services while creating fear and uncertainty for surrounding communities, said University of Maryland urban studies and planning Associate Professor Ariel Bierbaum.


*"Schools for Sale: Disinvestment, Dispossession, and School Building Reuse in Philadelphia" book cover*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Urban Studies and Planning](https://today.umd.edu/topic/urban-studies-and-planning), [Books](https://today.umd.edu/topic/books), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-architecture-planning-and-preservation)