For the first time since the start of the current century, fewer than 6 million students are attending California’s public schools.
As best reported by CalMatters, California’s public schools lost more than 160,000 students by the start of the 21/22 school year. 88% of the drop occurred in kindergarten to sixth grade, while public preschool enrollment fell by more than 6,000 students.
And then it got worse.
Statewide enrollment dropped another 1.8%, which represented another 110,000 students. Total enrollment is less than 5.89 million.
Even charter schools took a hit. For the first time since at least 2014, charter school enrollment also fell.
SF appears to have taken one of the worst hits, losing nearly 5% of their students and dropping to a number not seen in decades. That drop was more than double what it was last year. (LA had 737,000 students 20 years ago – now it’s under 430,000).
Sadly, many officials seemed to have learned nothing. The standard response has been “the pandemic was challenging” and other such comments. To which the proper response has to be: “Yes, the pandemic was challenging, but the lockdowns and draconian government response were the driving factors.”
How, for example, can those officials square the 4% increase in public school enrollment in Florida?
But for the kids who have stayed, how are they doing academically? On the whole, not well. A new analysis found that the average eight grader has skills indicative of fifth graders.
Which I know is infuriating to my teacher friends.
Adding to the fury has been CA’s response to underperforming math students, which has been to declare math as racist. CA recently proposed a new math framework stating that the overarching goal of K-12 math teaching will be to “promote racial justice and create space for students with a wide range of social identities to feel a sense of belonging.”
I mean, you can’t make this up.
Will O’Neill is a member of the Newport Beach City Council.
