At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the continued existence of many rural schools is being threatened. It has often been suggested that the closure of a rural school renders the area it serves less attractive, and can prejudice in-migration and encourage out-migration as the school is often expected to have more functions than the mere provision of basic education. In this paper, using, geographically detailed population data, no significant such effects on migration patterns can be demonstrated, either in the immediate surroundings of the school or in its wider catchment area. These results remain even if the migrants being considered are limited to families with children (a group expected to be particularly affected by school closures).