Public schools in a bind amid enrollment declines

K-12 enrollment is on the decline between a combination of dropping birth rates and more school choice options putting schools in a tight bind.

The public school system is expected to see a drop of millions of students over the next five years, a hit that will affect schools financially and potentially lead to the closure of more districts. Ways to combat this phenomenon are limited as experts say schools will have to look at scaling down operations or competing with other educational institutions.

From fall 2019 to fall 2023, a 2.5 percent drop in enrollment occurred, taking over a million kids out of the K-12 system. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects enrollment will go from 51 million in 2019 to 47 million by 2031.

The main contributors to this decline are l