In many parts of the country, enrollment in traditional public schools has fallen to its lowest point in decades. However, states, cities, and school districts have been slow to respond to the reality of empty desks. This report examines trends in school enrollment, focusing on several of America's most populous cities, as well as the budgetary…

Over the first two school years under the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 enrollment in public schools decreased dramatically--with losses concentrated among the youngest students--and the pandemic has had historically unprecedented effects on available learning opportunities. Little is known about where these students went and what learning environments…

The 50-State Comparison on teacher employment contract policies provides a national comparison of teacher employment contract policies in all states. All of the information was gathered from and focused on state statutes and regulations. State case law was also utilized for metrics related to collective bargaining. Data collection focused…

Demographic projections from the California Department of Finance (DOF) suggest that California's public K-12 school system is entering a long period of declining enrollment. Districts with declining enrollment face fiscal pressures, as state funding is tied to the number of students they serve. Declining enrollment also has important implications…

Catholic schools have seen more than a 30% decline in enrollment over the past 20 years. While some of the decline in enrollment may have been spurred by secular trends or the Church abuse scandal, the increase in schools of choice, principally public charter schools, may explain at least some of this decline. In this paper we estimate the effect…

Demographic projections from the California Department of Finance (DOF) suggest that California's public K-12 school system is entering a long period of declining enrollment. Districts with declining enrollment face fiscal pressures, as state funding is tied to the number of students they serve. Declining enrollment also has important implications…

Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), California's thirteenth largest school district, faces a looming deficit and must make significant budget adjustments to avoid state intervention. This case study explores how the district reached this point, how its finances compare with other districts in Sacramento County, and what the…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of education in the state and across the nation, irrevocably impacting the lives of students, families, and educators like no crisis before it. Educators, families, and leaders responded to the crisis with extraordinary resilience. In the face of an unprecedented threat to public health, the state…

Our 31st annual report analyzing data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts finds that while 68 of the 92 school districts are exceeding or significantly exceeding expectations on our new state report cards, there are large achievement gaps across the region on state assessments for low-income students and students of color. Key…

Our 32nd annual report analyzing data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts finds progress on some college readiness indicators and largely positive showings on district report cards. Those results are offset, however, by discouraging results on standardized tests and continued substantial achievement gaps between students of…

New York City has the nation's largest public-school system (with 1,066,473 students in fall 1999), followed by Los Angeles, Chicago, and 2 Florida counties (Dade and Broward). Enrollments increased in 44 urban areas between 1989 and 1999. In 21 areas, enrollments declined slightly between 1998 and 1999. (MLH)

Figures generated by the Common Core of Data survey indicate public school enrollment in the United States decreased by about 818,000 in fall 1981, a 2 percent decline from fall 1980 and part of a continuous decline since 1972. The five states reporting the largest decreases in enrollment (New York, California, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio)…

Computer tape files of student enrollment data were analyzed three times in an 18-month period to determine the effects of closing five of Seattle's elementary schools in May 1979 on the enrollments of students residing within those attendance boundaries. The changes in enrollment figures in the areas where schools were closed were compared to…

Computerized analysis of current statistical data and projected declining enrollments in Metropolitan Toronto show that the decrease in staffing requirements over the next ten years will increase the average salary of teachers in uninflated dollars mainly through the increase in teachers' average experience. Boards with lower than average teaching…

Census projections, broken down according to age groups, reveal that the school age population for ages 5-9 bottomed out in 1982 and is now increasing; ages 10-13 will bottom out in 1986; and ages 14-17 will bottom out in 1990. School districts should prepare accordingly for increases in elementary enrollment. (TE)