Recent federal data on school enrollment adds detail to the picture of declining student numbers in many of the nation’s public K-12 classrooms.
Most of the country’s 100 largest districts by enrollment have seen declines since 2019-20. The National Center for Education Statistics released data for 2023-24 in December.
Nine of the 10 largest districts, including New York City, Los Angeles and Miami-Dade, have seen enrollment drop by up to 13% compared to the year Covid-19 first shut down schools. Ta.
New York City’s declining numbers are leveling out, but Still 100,000 students short Even before the pandemic. Think Tank Imperial Public Policy Center cites a confluence of factors Enrollment is declining due to increases in pregnancy rates, immigration, homeschooling, and increased homeschooling and microschooling supported by increased ability to work from home.
Students who speak a language other than English at home LARGER SHARE OF REGISTRATION DIP As noted by the Public Policy Institute of California, this is probably based on lower birth rates among Latinos than among English-only students.
According to the institute’s brief, “changes that could impact future funding for English language learner resources could mean that “reductions in numbers could impact program delivery, and bilingual or bilingual It can be more difficult to provide heavy immersion programs and translation services.”
Houston schools have seen a decline in enrollment as well. Criticism of state takeover District – from 2019-20 onwards. Meanwhile, compared to five years ago, students from at least five neighboring school districts are enrolled, an increase of nearly 14%.
The largest enrollment growth since the start of the pandemic came from Idea Public Schools, a Texas charter district. This reports an impressive 55% increase since 2019-20. There were approximately 76,800 students at the end of 2023-24. texas approved The district’s plan to expand with 10 additional campuses was announced last March, shortly after the district was placed in the state. guardian Following a survey of expenditures.
In Nevada, state-sponsored charter schools collectively accounted for the second-largest enrollment growth rate in the country. Charter schools in Nevada have steadily closed The Battle native ranks second in the state’s registration, according to an analysis by Currents of Nevada, and recently became concerned that the Charter County expansion could expand nearby. elementary school closure.
Melissa McKeddon, executive director of the Nevada Public Charter School Authority, says parental demand is behind charter school enrollment growth.
“We now recognize that education cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach,” says McKeddon. “Different students thrive in different situations. Charter spaces allow parents more voice and choice in deciding what is best for their students, and they continue to demand more options. ”
