First-hand observation: in my years reporting from school districts, I’ve seen this tension play out in real time. In a mid-sized district in Georgia, registration lines stretched across three city blocks during the first day of school in August 2024—nearly double last year’s volume. Parents waited not just for desks, but for space: bathroom lines doubled, cafeterias overflowed, and even security patrols were stretched thin.

Understanding the Context

This is not a temporary glitch—it’s systemic.Data paints a sharper picture:Key takeaways:

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