More than 110,000 students leave California public schools state officials say

California schools lost 110,000 K-12 students in the past year, the fifth consecutive year in which enrollment declined in public schools and a decline that is projected to continue, according to state data.

The school-age population across the state has been shrinking for the past five years. But amid the COVID-19 pandemic — as parents moved children to private schools or left the state altogether — the decline was sharpest.

In counting fall enrollment, the state lost 1.8% of students from the year before, second only to the 2020-21 school year which was the largest decline in two decades — 160,000 fewer students, or a 3% skid.

California public schools’ net enrollment stands at 5,892,240 students, according to the California Department of Education.

Across the four-county Sacramento region — Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Sacramento counties — enrollment declines were less pronounced.

Last school year, Sacramento County had 246,000 students enrolled, but that number dropped to 243,000. Yolo County lost fewer than 200 students and now serves about 29,700 students.

Enrollment inched up in Placer and El Dorado counties. In 2020-2021, about 73,900 students were in Placer County public schools. In 2021-2022, that number jumped to about 74,500. El Dorado County experienced an increase of about 500 students, now serving about 30,600 students.

Who is leaving and where are they heading?

Figures on who’s leaving the schools vary across the state. More white students left California public schools than any other race at a 4.9% drop, followed by Black students at 3.6% drop, according to the data. Asian students declined 1.9% and Hispanic and Latino students declined by less than 1%.

The largest enrollment drop occurred in first, fourth, seventh and ninth grades. And urban school districts, like Sacramento City Unified, had some of the largest declines.

While state officials say the reasons for the decline vary, the demographic shift of K-12 students could be contributing to the decline.

Some parents are homeschooling their children or leaving the state.

Private school enrollment continued to increase. During the earlier months of the pandemic, some parents enrolled their students in one of the Sacramento area’s 40 private schools that reopened under the state’s waiver program as Sacramento City Unified and other public school districts kept their campuses shuttered.

In 2019-2020, there were 17,000 private school affidavits to enroll California students. The following year, there were more than 36,000.

Sacramento City Unified

In the 2018-2019 school year, more than 42,500 students attended Sacramento City schools. That number dropped over the years to its current enrollment of 39,700 students.

The district projected there will be 37,853 students in the upcoming school year, and 37,664 students in 2023-2024.

Parents who spoke with The Sacramento Bee said they left the district for a myriad of reasons: families looked for open campuses during the pandemic, well-resourced schools and efficient leadership that didn’t leave their needs unmet, they said.

Gia Moreno Cruz pulled her son from William Land Park Elementary three years ago after she said his needs were not being met. He now attends Delta Elementary Charter School in Clarksburg, while her daughter remains in the district.

Cruz said she is concerned with how long it takes to get help in Sacramento City Unified.

“There are so many disconnects between the district office and school sites,” she said. “I asked for a (student study team) meeting for my daughter last year, and I’m barely getting one now. I teach in Elk Grove and have taught in other districts, and have never seen issues with getting accommodations like I have seen with SCUSD.”

Sacramento City Unified parent Amanda Vargas pulled both of her daughters out of the district and enrolled them in St. Patrick Academy, a Catholic school where she pays roughly $500 for each of them.

“They have integrated arts in the classroom,” Vargas said, electives that Sacramento City Unified lacked.

The Department of Education is working with school districts to increase funding, providing resources and grants through legislation. State laws prevent school districts from losing state revenue if attendance decreases during the academic year.

Vargas said her children, who were in kindergarten and first grade at Bret Harte Elementary, not only missed out on programs but struggled academically and did not know their alphabet. She pulled them mid-year and saw them thrive at their new school.

“The quality is way better,” Vargas said, adding that she doesn’t plan on returning her younger children to public school.

Her son still attends Hiram Johnson High in the district.

“I am counting down the days until we are done,” Vargas said.