Of the 12 largest school districts in the Bay Area, the greatest enrollment drops were at Cupertino Unified and San Jose Unified for at least the second year in a row. Cupertino had more than a 24%…
In the second year of a pandemic that has accelerated the student exodus from California public schools, enrollment fell below 6 million for the first time in more than 20 years, largely impacted by fewer families enrolling in urban and charter schools.
And in a dramatic turn, charter school enrollment fell by about 2% statewide. Enrollment in the independently-operated public schools had been on the rise for years. Large urban districts across the state account for close to one third of the drop in the current year, according to the California Department of Education. In contrast, private school enrollment rose 1.7% in the last year.
District leaders said the state’s report was not a surprise. They’ve felt the impacts from drops for years and are taking further fiscal measures to grapple with the accelerated decline since the start of the pandemic – many cutting programs that once attracted more families to their schools. Trends revealed in the new data show that the largest grade-level decreases were in 1st, 4th, 7th and 9th grade classrooms. Enrollment increases from the prior year occurred in kindergarten and 12th grade. English learners had a boost with more than 6% growth in enrollment from last year.
The new data also shows lower enrollment among vulnerable children. There was more than 6% drop in homeless students, a 4% drop in foster youth, a 3% drop in socioeconomically disadvantaged students and a half of a percent drop in students with disabilities. It’s unclear whether the drop in homeless students is because students found a more stable living environment, Cindy Kazanis, a director of the CDE’s analysis, measurement and accountability reporting division, said.