Preliminary numbers show that the city’s Department of Education enrollment has declined by 1.9 percent this year, officials said Friday.
The DOE reported that there are currently 938♑,000 K to 12 kids in traditional public schools compared to 955,000 last year.
Chaಞrter school enrollment hiked by 3.2 percent, rising to 143,000 fr𒊎om 139,000.
Total enrollment — including charters — dipped by 1.2 perc෴ent overall, going from 1,094,000 last year to 1,081,000 currently.
The 1.9 percent drop follows a more precipitous 4.7 percent decrease in enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year and is in lin📖e with pre-COVID-19 trends.
Enrollment fell by 1.🅺5 percent in 2018-2019 and by 1.4 percent in 2017-2018, the DOE reported.
The current 938,000 figurﷺe includes 69,000 students in pre-K and 3-K programs, according 🌠to the agency.
This year’s departures were concentrated in higher grades while early education enrollment increased after steep drops last year, the DOE said.
The agency di♌d not break down enrollment by school or district.
Observers feared accelerating register losses due to the continued threat of the coronavirus and the specter of school closures and general pandemic-related disru♕ption.
The DOE argued that enrollment has 🅺stabilized somewhat — but noted that numbers will continue to 🔯fluctuate.
The city’s traditional public schools have seen enrollment drop by 8 percent since 2017-2018, going from 1,022,000 to this year’s 938,000.
The DOE ha𒁃s seen student decreases every ♚year since 2016, with the department citing declining birth rates as one reason for the consistent declines.
Charter registers have soare൲d over that same stretch, upping from 114,000 to 143,000, the figures show.
The DOꦇE said that city schools are stemming losses more effectiv💞ely than other major districts across the country.
Los Angeles sc🍒hools have lost 5.8 percent of their kids this year while🌄 Chicago shed 4.4 percent of students, the DOE highlighted.
“As the nation’s largest school district we’ve been impacted by the nationwide enrollment fluctuation that impacted schools across the country, and this data shows enrollment is stabilizing as we continue our City’s incredible recovery,” said DOE spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon.
Attendance has hovered around 89 percent his year thus far, down several percent🎃age point from pre-🎐pandemic averages.
While s𒊎chools usually face funding dips🐼 after losing students, the DOE said that it would fill those shortfalls this year