Researchers say that public and private school enrollment in Puerto Rico has dropped 44% since 2006, leading to the closure of 265 schools and raising concerns that children will start to drop out.

Investigators with the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at New York's Hunter College said Tuesday that a disproportionate number of school closures have come in rural areas on the economically struggling U.S. territory. The center's director, Edwin Melendez said the changes have led to cuts in school bus service and reduced access to primary school education.

A separate study by the nonprofit Lumina Foundation found that Puerto Rico college enrollment decreased by 7% over the past three years, but that degree completion is higher on the island than in the U.S. mainland.