A bitter clash over space has emerged in recent weeks at a beloved New York City school building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that two programs have shared for the past decade. One of the building’s occupants, Public School 145, has added more than 120 new students as a result of an influx of newcomers. The conflict highlights broader fault lines in New York and other large U.S. cities. The country’s public schools have lost more than 1.2 million students since the pandemic began and are facing major budget declines as a result. By 2031, enrollment could plunge by another 2.5 million nationwide, in large part because of declining birthrates.

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Organizations: New York, Public, of Education, West Prep Academy Locations: New York City, New York, U.S