Declining student enrollment is leading to a loss of revenue in many California school districts. To address ongoing budget shortfalls, many districts have consolidated or shuttered schools, and others are contemplating doing so. In this session, Carrie Hahnel (Bellwether) and Francis A. Pearman (Stanford Graduate School of Education) will discuss new research exploring the racial dimensions of school closures and how to address them. Pearman will discuss a new report showing that closures are far more common for schools that serve higher proportions of Black students, and Hahnel will situate these disparities within the U.S. history of segregation, neighborhood disinvestment, and gentrification, and provide evidence and suggestions to help education leaders center equity as they confront declining enrollment-related school closures. The researchers will also be joined by Tomasa Dueñas (California State Assembly) who will provide a practical perspective on this critical issue.