Across the state, K-12 public school enrollment has fallen 7% in the last decade, with the biggest declines around the pandemic, according to state data.
While the majority of districts have seen this drop, it’s even more drastic in large coastal districts, like San Francisco.
The authors of a new report by the Public Policy Institute of California note that more students are choosing charter and home-school options.
California funds K-12 schools based on average daily attendance (how many kids show up to class). But school leaders are pushing to change the calculation to an enrollment-based funding model.
Regardless of how that debate plays out, the state’s student population is projected to continue to decline, posing ongoing challenges for California’s schools.
