With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Pandemic Brings Huge Decline In Enrollment At LAUSD
First graders at Brainard Elementary demonstrate the very lengthy process of lining up, socially distanced, outside.
(
Kyle Stokes
/
LAist
)
The Los Angeles Unified School District has some 27,000 fewer students enrolled this year than last year, according to new data presented to the district's board of education this week. The enrollment decline is about three times the annual decline seen in years prior to the pandemic.
District leaders were caught off-guard by the steep drop.
“We were predicting that we were going to be about 9,000 students less this year," LAUSD Chief Strategy Officer Veronica Arreguin told board members.
District leaders say they plan to hire community engagement staff and enrollment counselors to help attract and retain students.
Sponsored message
Not Alone
LAUSD certainly isn't the only public school district to lose students during the coronavirus pandemic. Other large, urban districts, including San Diego and Long Beach, have also lost large numbers of students during the pandemic.
Statewide, the number of students enrolled in Pre-K-12 non-charter public schools dropped 3.2% this past school year compared to 2019-2020, according to data from the California Department of Education. On the flip side, charter school enrollment increased statewide last year — by 2.3%, albeit a smaller increase than in previous years.
Enrollment at LAUSD has been declining for close to 20 years, thanks to factors including the high cost of living and an aging population. The accelerated decline during the pandemic is bad news for, among other things, the district's finances.
The Impact
"Enrollment drives the budget. You lose kids, you lose money," said Pedro Noguera, dean of USC's Rossier School of Education. Once emergency funding runs out, the loss of students could mean schools have to close.
But at least some of the student exodus could be temporary. Some parents, for example, may have decided to homeschool their kids until the pandemic feels over.
Sponsored message
Noguera said it's important to figure out where these kids are, and why they left. "Because some of those parents might come back if they're not satisfied with what they've chosen."
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
