Public school enrollment across Colorado fell by more than 10,000 students this school year, newly released data shows, the sharpest drop in the state’s student enrollment since the pandemic.
The dip, captured during the annual October count day for schools, extends a trend of declining enrollment in many Colorado districts that mimics a broader downturn in public school students across the country.
Colorado’s total count of kids in preschool through 12th grade fell to 870,793, down 1.2% from the 2024-25 school year, data from The Colorado Department of Education shows. Enrollment decreased in nine grades and increased in preschool and grades four, six and 12 by nearly 4,300 students altogether.
Nationally, enrollment is expected to drop to 46.9 million by 2032 from 50.8 million in 2019, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Colorado’s last major drop in student counts was during the pandemic, when enrollment decreased by nearly 30,000 students. Before the pandemic, Colorado’s population of public school students consistently grew for 30 years. Enrollment has continued to shrink since the 2022-23 school year.
To read the entire article, visit The Colorado Sun.