California’s public school enrollment has dropped for the seventh consecutive year, raising concerns among educators and policymakers. The latest figures show a decline of 31,469 students, bringing the total enrollment to 5,806,221 for the current school year. This marks a decrease of 0.54% from the previous year, according to the California Department of Education.
One of the most striking statistics is the disparity between 12th-grade and 1st-grade enrollments. This year, there are 488,295 students in 12th grade compared to just 384,822 in 1st grade. This represents a gap of more than 20%, highlighting a significant drop in younger students entering the system.
The enrollment decline coincides with an increase in the number of students from low-income families, which rose by nearly 1%. Additionally, the number of students experiencing homelessness increased by over 9%. These trends come as many school districts face financial challenges and consider downsizing.
Experts attribute the overall enrollment decline to fewer school-age children in California, driven by lower birth rates and families moving out of the state due to high housing costs and the rise of remote work. Thomas Dee, an education professor at Stanford University, noted that many students who left during the COVID-19 pandemic have not returned.
The situation varies across different regions of the state. While some districts are experiencing growth, others are shrinking significantly. For instance, Los Angeles Unified School District has seen a nearly 50% drop in enrollment over the past two decades, falling from 747,009 students in the 2003-04 school year to 387,152 this year. In contrast, districts like Elk Grove Unified, Clovis Unified, and Roseville City have managed to maintain or grow their student populations.
The financial implications of declining enrollment are serious. Schools receive less funding as their student numbers drop, but their overhead costs remain high. This has led to job cuts in districts like Santa Ana Unified, which recently voted to eliminate 262 positions due to a $154 million budget deficit. Similarly, Los Angeles Unified plans to reduce its workforce over the next two years, looking for ways to avoid layoffs.
Despite the overall decline, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of transitional kindergarten (TK), a new grade for 4-year-olds. Enrollment in TK has increased by 17%, from 151,491 to 177,570 students. This growth is partly due to the state expanding eligibility for TK. However, the number still falls short of Governor Gavin Newsom’s ambitious goal of 400,000 students in TK by the 2025-26 school year.
As the state grapples with these challenges, educators and officials emphasize the importance of quality early education programs. They believe that improving offerings in transitional kindergarten could help attract more families back to public schools. Nonetheless, the long-term outlook remains uncertain as many families continue to explore private and home-school options, which have seen a rise since the pandemic.