Document Type
Report
Publication Date
5-2019
Abstract
According to the 2018 U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates, Puerto Rico’s population is 3.1 million, having declined 4% since 2017 (3.2 million).1 This is the first official estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20th, 2017. Since Hurricane Maria, migration has intensified, especially among adults and the children accompanying them (family units), and this pattern shifted the Island’s demographic structure. This declining population has had a series of social and demographic impacts, such as increasing vacancy rates for housing units, lower growth rates in child population, and school closures throughout the Island. In a prior report, we documented the housing crisis2 and in this study we examine school closures. A total of 265 public schools, or 24%, have closed, and 855 schools remained open in the 2018-2019 academic year. The total number of operational schools has declined from 1,515 at its peak in 2006 to 855 in 2018.
Included in
Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Education Commons, Education Policy Commons
