Major cities see student enrollment drop as parents seek alternatives

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New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz and Brooklyn Charter Schools graduate Daniel Idfresne discuss unions fighting school choice as NYC charters outperform public schools and working-class families push to lift the charter cap.

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Major American cities are struggling to retain students as parents are seeking alternative options outside their neighborhood public schools.

Houston Independent School District reported a significant drop in student enrollment last week. Houston Public Media obtained a document from the district last year confirming that their enrollment declined more significantly last year than officials expected. Houston Independent School District lost 8,300 students this year, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) enrollment dipped further than last year, with enrollment numbers dropping to historic lows. CPS CEO Macquline King announced in September that "enrollment decreased across a majority of grades and most student groups." The decline in students reflects a downward trend over the past decade. According to Chalkbeat, student enrollment dropped by nearly 22% since the 2011-12 school year.

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Chicago Public Schools enrollment dipped further than last year, the superintendent announced in September. CPS CEO Macquline King said that "enrollment decreased across a majority of grades and most student groups." The decline in students reflects a downward trend over the past decade. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

New York City public schools lost 22,000 students this year from last year’s 906,248 students. According to preliminary Department of Education data, a total of 884,400 students were enrolled in the city’s traditional public schools. NYC had more than 1,002,000 students enrolled at the start of the 2019-2020 school year, meaning it has since lost more than 117,000.

The New York State Education Department released test scoresof students in grades 3–8 at K-12 school districts last month, showing nearly half were not proficient in English and math.

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Major cities are struggling to retain students as parents are seeking alternative options outside their neighborhood school. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)

Denver Public Schools, Colorado’s largest district, also saw a drop in enrollment, according to state data,which reflected a greater statewide trend. The Colorado Department of Education released data last week based on the fall’s student count. The state reported a 1.2% drop in enrollment compared to last fall, with a total of 870,793 pre-K-12th grade students enrolled.

Seattle's school district data also shows loss of enrollment in recent years. The Seattle Times cited state data released last Thursday showing Washington’s public schools across the state having the steepest drop in enrollment since the pandemic.

"Some districts have already had to make budget cuts while others are considering adding new programs to bring back students who’ve left the public school system for private schools, home schooling, or other alternatives," The Seattle Times reported, noting public school enrollment is about 50,000 students lower in Washington state since the 2019-20 school year.

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Seattle skyline. (Reuters/Chris Helgren)

Washington state’s Office of Public Instruction released a statement on Facebook last August, addressing "misinformation" about the state’s enrollment trends. The office maintains that "the enrollment story in Washington's K–12 public schools is remarkably consistent."

"These false narratives are a tool used to portray public education as in decline while simultaneously propping up school privatization," the office said.

California's public school enrollment has declined as well. 

Last March, Fox News Digital reported significant enrollment losses for San Francisco School District in the 2023-2024 school year. More recently, San Francisco Unified School District has seen an increase in enrollment, particularly in transitional kindergarten, after the state's mandate to provide a free year of prekindergarten to all 4-year-olds.

Factors that could drive enrollment loss

Many factors could drive enrollment loss, including declining city population and birth rates and high cost of living. Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova attributed the enrollment drop to several factors, including a decline in the school-aged population and shifts to part-time and online learning. 

The drop in enrollment came while homeschooling increased in the state. The state reported that full-time homeschool students increased by 5.5% from last year. Children registered in online educational programs and online schools increased by 2.9% since last year. 

"Colorado has long been a state that supports school choice. We have vibrant traditional, public schools, innovation schools, and charter schools. New and innovative models reflect the changing landscape of schools. We are certainly monitoring the number of families who select homeschool and online schools for their students," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"New York City Public Schools is committed to providing a world-class education for all our students," spokesperson for NYC Public Schools, Isla Gething, told Fox News Digital. "Enrollment can shift for many reasons, and these are trends we monitor closely. Our focus remains on delivering strong academic programs and safe learning environments in every classroom. We continue to engage the whole school community as we plan for the future of our schools with a long term focus on stability, equity, and providing an excellent education regardless of enrollment fluctuations."

Houston Independent School District told Fox News Digital that "there is no single cause for enrollment decline."

"What we do know aligns with larger national and statewide patterns. Large urban non-charter districts across Texas are experiencing enrollment drops, while suburban and rural districts are seeing increases," a district spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

"Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is committed to removing barriers to student attendance and academic success by working in partnership with families, schools, and community organizations to provide critical support and resources," a spokesman told Fox News Digital. "The District’s commitment to creating schools where every student feels seen, safe, and connected. The results validate the District’s focus on building systems of relational trust with the goal that every student has a meaningful connection with a trusted adult in their learning community."

Fox News Digital previously reported on several states passing universal school choice legislation, responding to the trend of parentsseeking alternative options to traditional public schools. The legislation is introducing competition into the education landscape as parents have options outside the neighborhood school their child is zoned for, placing challenges on school districts that are struggling to retain students, especially in large urban cities.

Since the pandemic, school board meetings have become battlegrounds between parents and school board officials. The contentious debates sparked a conversation about how much control parents have over their children's education. In Virginia, parents lashed out at school administrators over sexually explicit and LGBTQ-related booksbeing showcased in school libraries and used in the classroom.

Big city school districts recruiting students

Fox News Digital spoke with Caissa K12, a firm enlisted by big city school districts to recruit students as they compete with alternative education options. Caissa K12 has been utilized by school districts in cities such as Memphis, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; and dozens of other school districts.

New York City public schools lost 22,000 students this year. (Photo by Erin Lefevre/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Brian Stephens, the lead architect of recruitment strategies for public schools, told Fox News Digital that vouchers and charter schools are forcing public schools to compete, leading them to enlist the expertise of Caissa K12.

"The more students they get, the more taxpayer money they get. So, all competition started off in the bigger, more dense communities. And, now, over the last 20 years, I mean, choice really started a long time ago. I think it's been about 20 years, especially like in Louisiana and in Arizona. It's radiated to the suburbs and now, since COVID, is radiated even to the rural areas," Stephens said.

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Seattle Public Schools, Denver Public Schools and San Francisco Unified School District did not respond to a request for comment.

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