When a school district has made the decision to close a school, criteria must be developed for selecting the school to be closed. These criteria help in making a sound decision and in explaining that decision to the public. One way of approaching the development of decision criteria is to decide on the main reason the district is closing a school, then let that influence the selection of criteria and the weight given to each. Most districts use three or fewer decision criteria, the three most-used criteria being, in order of frequency, enrollment, the age of the school building, and racial desegregation. The six major categories of possible closure criteria are enrollment, building factors, the educational environment of the school, operating costs, transportation costs, and educational program costs. The next step is to gather data about each school and then compare the schools on each criterion to find the best candidate for closure, thus helping to bring objectivity to a controversial and emotional situation. Included are a sample checklist for making an inventory of each school, a list of the decision criteria discussed in this report, and a brief list of references. (DCS)