The book concludes by emphasizing how targeted citizen’s experiences with public school closures, and thus local government, weakens their trust in the political process and reduces their perceived value as citizens. Ultimately, the insights revealed in the book make clear that the closing of public schools contribute not only to the death of a school and its surrounding community but also to the slow death of citizens belief in, and access to, American democracy. Nonetheless, it also posits a potential way forward.