Tennessee Ranks Ninth in School Closure Rate

Tennessee averaged 1.3% of its schools closing each year between 2019-20 and 2025-26, the ninth-highest rate in the U.S.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Secondary Education

Screen-print poster illustration of an empty row of wooden classroom desks in warm sunlight, with a stack of folded chairs and rolling hills visible through the window. — Tennessee averaged 1.3% of its schools closing each year from 2019-20 through 2025-26, the ninth-highest rate in the nation, with closures underway in Nashville and Memphis. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Tennessee had the ninth-highest average annual school closure rate in the U.S. between the 2019-20 and 2025-26 school years, averaging 1.3% of schools closing each year. The state's rate is higher than Texas's, and closures are underway or announced in Nashville and Memphis.

Why it matters

Tennessee is losing students mainly because of a lower birth rate, and some closures are intended to save money. Experts say a solution is needed soon or the closure trend could escalate.

Tennessee averaged 1.3% of its schools closing each year between 2019-20 and 2025-26, the ninth-highest rate nationally, according to analysis by Big Local News at Stanford University. About 13% of Tennessee students are currently in special education, a share projected to climb to 27%.

The players

Big Local News at Stanford University

A data journalism project at Stanford University that analyzed national school closure data and produced the 1,156-closure figure cited in this report.

The details

Four Nashville schools closed in 2020, and five more Nashville schools are scheduled to close in 2026, with the closures expected to save about $2 million. Five school closures have also been announced in Memphis. Records for students with issues affecting special education numbers are moving between schools, and families moving children into homeschooling are contributing to enrollment losses.

2019-20 school year: start of the period used for the average closure rate calculation.
2020: four Nashville schools closed.
Last academic year: 1,156 U.S. schools closed.
2025-26 school year: end of the period used for the average closure rate calculation.
2026: five Nashville school closures planned.

Seasonal Patterns

Tennessee's ninth-place ranking in the Big Local News at Stanford University analysis of 2019-20 through 2025-26 closures places the state among the higher-closure states nationally. Its 1.3% average annual rate also sits above Texas's, marking a regional contrast within the same national trend.

Tennessee families whose children attend the schools slated for closure in Nashville and Memphis will need to plan for transfers to other campuses. Parents of students in special education should watch for how the projected rise to 27% affects services and class placement.

The takeaway

Enrollment declines driven by birth rates and homeschooling are reshaping Tennessee's school map, so families should confirm their child's assigned school and transfer options early. Districts facing closures will need to balance cost savings against the needs of growing special education populations.