04/22/2026
California schools face budget cuts as enrollment drops by 74,961 students
Kindergarten students in San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento line up after recess. (File photo, 2024) Credit: Andrew Reed / EdSource Diana Lambert, Lasherica Thornton, John Fensterwald, And Daniel J. Willis Enrollment in California K-12 schools, and in schools across the country, is declining rapidly as birth rates drop and immigration rates fall. This school year, California had the largest decline in enrollment rates since 2021-22, after schools returned from the pandemic....
Discover the trends and impacts of declining K-12 enrollment in California schools, amid changing demographics and budget challenges.