Report: Public School Enrollment Dropping Across The Country
Fewer students are enrolled in public schools across the country amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
According to The New York Times, Massachusetts public schools have seen 37,000 fewer students(4%) in North Carolina, 4 fewer students were enrolled, while in Massachusetts, specifically, enrollment for pre-kindergarten students is 30% lower over previous years, and enrollment for kindergarten-age students is 12% lower.
In some cases, the charter schools are taking them, in some cases privates and parochials,” Glenn Koocher, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, told The New York Times in an interview. “The bigger tragedy is that some kids aren’t getting anything, because they’ve fallen off the map.
Across the Unites in places such as Montana, Wisconsin, and Missouri, public schools are also experiencing a drop in enrollment. Last month, other news outlets reported a similar phenomenon in other areas, such as Utah, Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas.
In New York City, which recently held optional in-person learning for some students for roughly two months, public school enrollment has declined about 3.2% from past years. The public school system has since closed for in-person learning.
The closures have been a blow to parents, many of whom have expressed outrage at Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to shutter schools.
Maybe the misguided actions of politicians closing schools will be a boon to legislators finally realizing that putting the educational needs of kids into the hands of parents fortified with vouchers will finally catch hold.