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K–12 Education

Evaluating resources and policies that improve student outcomes

Dec 14
photo - Classroom with Empty Wooden Desks
Virtual Event

Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment

Upcoming December 14, 2023 · 11:00 am - 11:40 am

Over the past five years, enrollment has fallen in nearly three-quarters of California school districts, a trend that is expected to continue into the next decade. In a presentation of a new report, PPIC researchers Emmanuel Prunty and Julien Lafortune will outline the regions and groups affected most by enrollment declines and discuss the fiscal impacts and policy implications for the state’s TK–12 system.

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Fact Cards

More than 1/3 of California’s schoolchildren are either current or former English Learners.
Chronic absenteeism in California’s public K–12 schools nearly tripled from 2018–19 to 2021­–22 but has fallen slightly.
At 47% and 35%, the share of California students meeting state standards in reading and math is the lowest since 2016.
A majority of the nearly 6 million students in California’s public schools are “high need”—low-income, English Learner (EL), homeless, or foster youth.
Enrollment in California’s public K–12 schools fell nearly 3% in 2020–21 and another 2% in 2021–22.
Schools were a key source of food for low-income families despite closures during the pandemic.
California ranks near the bottom 50 states for share of high school graduates who directly enroll in four-year college