The Great Recession has begun to push through to basic public services that affect us all. Education funding has dried up and across the country, cities facing major budget shortfalls are taking the radical step of shutting down schools in order to address the budget crisis. 

Kansas City is closing nearly half of its schools. Detroit is planning to shutter schools strategically, using federal stimulus dollars to finance an overhaul that will streamline and improve the ways schools are managed and operated. According to Crain’s Detroit Business:

“The plan aims to shrink district building space by more than 4 million square feet, which should save $31 million in 2010, according to DPS materials. The plan’s initial phases will be funded by $500.5 million in federal stimulus bonds. A second phase, which involves new and specialized school construction, would be funded by a future $500 million bond sale.”

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, among many others, is planning to close at least 12 branches and lay off 140 workers. The effect would appear to be there is far less access for young people and members of the community to an information-rich learning environment.

In DeKalb County, Georgia, plans are underway to close schools in hopes of closing a projected $88 million budget deficit. The closures would save an estimated $2.3 million, hardly enough to justify such radical measures.

As budget concerns hit one after another state and municipality, we need to think about how to counter the trend, find creative ways to fund public education and related public services, to ensure hard times don’t build hard times into our children’s future…