Puerto Rico is closing schools faster than its school-age population is shrinking, and rural towns are paying the price ^[6]. Since 2016, 523 schools have closed on the island ^[8]. Sixty-five percent of those closures hit rural areas, compared to 35% in urban areas ^[11]. The Department of Education has closed 10 schools in Guánica and Guayanilla since 2010 alone ^[7].