patrick.net

Ceffer says

The school in Santa Cruz has dropped dramatically in kids, fewer cars, less traffic jamming.

CA 1978 Prop 13 put golden handcuffs to all property owners in the state. After kids are gone, some of the parents used to trade houses to young families with school age kids to utilize school neighborhood houses. Most neighborhoods stuck with old folks and force the schools shutdown with declining enrollment as the housing costs have pushed many young families out of these areas, leading to fewer students.

Housing Stagnation and "Lack of Kids"

There is a subtle but powerful link between Prop 13 and the "lack of kids":
The Lock-in Effect: Because property taxes only reassess when a home is sold, long-term homeowners have a massive financial incentive never to move.

Demographic Shift: This "lock-in" can prevent younger families with school-aged children from moving into established neighborhoods. Over decades, neighborhoods that once teemed with children become "older," leading to the declining enrollment that forces school closures today.

When you look at the current school closures in good neighborhoods through the lens of "Prop 13 Karma," you’re essentially seeing a 45-year-old policy "coming home to roost."