NYC High School Shrinks From 3,000 to 90

San Antonio’s Hirsch Elementary, which has received four consecutive failing state ratings, is among campuses now run by Colorado-based Third Future Schools under a model focused on instructional time and math and literacy achievement; the takeover has drawn criticism from families concerned about local control and rigid practices. Separately, Broward County’s public school district reported about 12,300 fewer students than the previous year, while Palm Beach County reported a decline of nearly 7,000. In New York City, Murry Bergtraum High School has dwindled from roughly 3,000 students to about 90 and now ranks among the city’s worst for graduation and attendance, despite unusually high per-student spending; a Chalkbeat investigation found officials repeatedly discussed closing or merging the school but left it open. The reports highlight distinct challenges facing public schools: academic turnaround, declining enrollment and prolonged institutional failure.