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This Tuesday, the Amphitheater School District’s Governing Board is expected to vote to close four of its elementary schools. This news is devastating to the families of students who attend these campuses, but the threat of school closures is hardly unique to Tucson. Last year, 20 public schools across Arizona closed or were repurposed. This year, cities including Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Cave Creek will likely join Tucson in shuttering even more sites. In fact, throughout the nation, small or under-enrolled public schools are disappearing at an alarming rate.

There are countless reasons why this is problematic. For families lacking time or money to transport their children long distances to school, the closure of a neighborhood campus often results in increased student absences. One study found that not only did students whose schools closed have lower test scores than their peers, but they were 4.8% less likely to attend college after graduation. School closures can also wipe out services– from food boxes and clothing banks to parent classes and community forums– available in a neighborhood. This is especially troubling considering that school closures disproportionately affect low-income students and students of color.

With such obviously negative consequences for children and communities, why are school closures increasing? Two factors are often cited as the cause: declining birth rates and expanded educational voucher programs. Although a community’s birth rate is out of any school district’s control, the prevalence of vouchers is a direct result of government actions. That’s how Arizona ended up with universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), which allow families to use approximately $8,000 of taxpayer funds to pay for their child’s personalized educational experience. Although Arizonans overwhelmingly voted against expanding the ESA program, which initially served only students with special needs, the legislature green-lit it anyway. This year, ESAs will cost Arizonans nearly one billion dollars, and as these funds flow from public schools to individual students, the number of school closures increases.

While the effects of birth rates and vouchers are undeniable, I would argue there’s another factor at play. Not long ago, most students attended their neighborhood school by default. Today, however, many families feel compelled or even pressured to seek out curated educational experiences that are, to paraphrase Goldilocks, “just right” for their child. Religious communities might encourage followers to attend their denomination’s parochial school. Charter schools might woo families with alternative teaching methods or progressive ideologies. At the same time, Republican politicians slander public schools and cut their budgets, then label them as failing when students struggle to perform on standardized tests. With so many competing narratives and misinformation, it’s no wonder parents want to investigate all their options. But as individuals seek out the perfect educational experience, the quality, dependable public schools that most Arizona students depend on are slipping away.

I certainly hope Amphi finds a way to keep its elementary schools open, but to avoid facing this situation again, we need to take action now. First, we must elect leaders who pledge to support public schools through investments in infrastructure, teacher development, and relevant educational opportunities. Public schools aren’t perfect, but funding them to appropriate levels will allow them to innovate and flourish. Next, we need to right-size our ESA program or dismantle it entirely. Arizonans absolutely do not want their taxes subsidizing wealthy students’ private school tuition. Instead, legislators must rein in this over-budget, loosely regulated program immediately. School districts can do their part by reimagining one-size-fits-all models for their smaller schools. These sites might share support staff, offer multi-grade classrooms, or lease part of their building to a non-profit. With creative staffing and organizational structures, underenrolled schools may not only survive, but thrive.

Finally, while many people claim to support public schools, without actions to back them up, those words ring hollow. If you have school-aged children, I invite you to join families like mine by enrolling your child in a public school. Schedule a tour, talk to members of the PTO, or attend a spring concert to get a feel for the campus culture. We can save our schools, but it will take a coordinated effort. And who knows? You may find that the local public school is just right for your child after all.