PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOSE OVER 12,000 STUDENTS
Numbers down in most districts in San Diego County; charters gain
Nearly every San Diego County school district lost students this school year during the pandemic, but local charter schools gained enrollment, according to new state data released this week.
In total San Diego County school districts lost 17,300 students, while charter schools in the county added 4,600 students.
Also San Diego Unified, for the first time in recent history, enrolled fewer than 100,000 students. It lost 4 percent of its enrollment — or 4,302 students — and reported fewer than 98,000 students. In prior years, it had been averaging a 1 percent annual decline in students.
The state data, which shows school enrollment as of early October, represents the first official look at how much the pandemic has whittled down districts’ enrollment — which was in decline before COVID began — and how much charter schools have benefited.
Overall San Diego County lost about 12,700 public school students, or about 3 percent, state data show. The year before, public school enrollment fell by 3,500 students or 1 percent.
Richard Barrera, president of
the San Diego Unified school board, said the biggest reason for the district’s decline is that many families chose not to enroll their kindergartners in distance learning.
Many parents said distance learning was not ideal for young children, who rely on school to develop social skills by interacting with their peers.
San Diego Unified tried to encourage families to sign up for kindergarten, saying the education is critical in the early years and students can still interact with peers during distance learning.
Kindergarten is not mandatory in California. Statewide the enrollment declines were steepest in kindergarten and sixth grade.
Beyond San Diego Unified, many San Diego area school districts expected to lose enrollment in recent years for a number of reasons, such as a lack of affordable housing and competition with charter schools.
But the new data shows district enrollment fell more steeply during the pandemic.
Among city and suburban school districts in the county, Coronado Unified lost the highest percentage, 15 percent of the approximately 3,100 students it had last school year.
Most districts lost less than 10 percent of their enrollment, but six saw double-digit percentage decreases: Coronado, Fallbrook Union Elementary, Bonsall Unified, and tiny San Pasqual Union, Dehesa Elementary and Spencer Valley Elementary.
Four districts did not lose enrollment: Grossmont Union High — which added 200 students — and Borrego Springs Unified, Fallbrook Union High and Warner Unified, whose enrollments largely stayed the same.
School officials focus on enrollment because schools receive state funding based on how many students are attending. Usually a decline in enrollment means less dollars.
This school year the state froze school funding, so districts were temporarily spared the pain of losing money. Next school year they won’t lose funding either because of the way the state’s funding formula works. Districts may not feel the financial effect of this year’s enrollment declines until 2022.
During a media briefing Wednesday, state education officials did not explain why students have disappeared from public school rolls.
“It’s complex. Every family has their own unique circumstances,” said Stephanie Gregson, deputy superintendent of public instruction.
Statewide public school enrollment dropped by about 160,500 students from last year, which is more than six times the previous year’s enrollment drop of about 23,300 students.
“In a year that has been so challenging for educators, students, and families, it is concerning to see this decrease, especially those in our youngest grades,” State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said in a statement.
Thurmond said it’s crucial that schools reach out to — and provide resources to — families who left or got disconnected from school.
In addition to families choosing not to enroll in kindergarten, some families left district schools for private schools, homeschooling or charter schools, which are public schools run independently of school districts.
Private schools were much quicker to reopen for in-person instruction during the pandemic. Some families said they switched to full-time home schooling for more flexible learning schedules or because they worried about too much screen time.
Some families said they have left district schools for online or home school-focused charter schools, because those schools had more experience in distance learning than school districts did.
Maggie Tamayo, a Chula Vista mother of six, pulled her school-age children out of their district school during the pandemic. She spent nearly a semester home-schooling three of them — including two who have autism — because distance learning was not working for the family, she said.
Home schooling gave the family flexibility, Tamayo said Thursday. But she recently returned her children to their original school for in-person learning, mostly so they can interact with kids their age.
“Especially my older girls, the first and second graders, are enjoying being back with people and seeing faces,” Tamayo said. “That makes it a lot easier to know that they’re also enjoying it and (are) happy.”