PreK-12 Enrollment and Demographics, 2025-2026

Table of Content

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Key Findings

METHODOLOGY

Data Sources and Collection

Data Analysis and Synthesis

Scope and Limitations

CHAPTER 1: ENROLLMENT TRENDS

• PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS STEADY IN 2023
• Figure 1-1. Enrollment in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, Fall 1990 Through Fall 2023
• Trends by Region and State
• Table 1-1. Percent Change in Public School Enrollment by Region, 2013 - 2023
• Table 1-2. Change in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools Enrollment by State, 2013 to 2023, 2019 to 2023, and 2022 to 2023
• Grade-Level Trends
• Table 1-3. Enrollment in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools by Level and Grade, 2018 - 2031 (in thousands)
• Grade-Level Projections 2023-2031
• Table 1-4. Change in Enrollment in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools by Level and Grade, 2018 - 2031
• Table 1-5. Percentage of Students Enrolled in Public PreK-12 Schools by Grade Level Band, 2018, 2022, and 2031
• Future Projections
• Figure 1-2. Projected Enrollments, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 2024 - 2031 (in thousands)
• ENROLLMENTS AT ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS GROW
• Table 1-6. Percentage of PreK-12 Students Attending Public, Private, and Public Charter Schools, Fall 2011 vs. Fall 2021
• Demographic Differences
• Table 1-7. Percentage of Public, Private, and Public Charter Schools by Race/Ethnicity, Fall 2021
• REASONS FOR THE TRENDS AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
• Declining Birth Rates and Immigration
• Quality of Public School Education
• School Choice
• PreK-12 Enrollment and Demographics 2024-2025
• March 2 ii 025 (C) Simba Information
• The Future
• NUMBER AND LOCATION OF SCHOOLS
• Figure 1-3. Number of Public and Elementary and Secondary Schools by School Type and Charter, 2023-2024 School Year
• Table 1-8. Number of Public Schools and Average Number of Students Enrolled by School Level, 2023-2024 School Year
• Table 1-9. Percentage of Public, Charter, and Private Schools by Type of Community, Fall 2021

CHAPTER 2: GENERAL POPULATION TRENDS

• Figure 2-1. Annual Percentage Change in US Population, July 1, 2000 to July 1, 2024
• Figure 2-2. US Annual Population Change, Natural Increase and International Migration, July 1, 2000, to July 1, 2024 (in millions)
• BIRTH AND FERTILITY RATES
• Reasons for the Declines
• IMMIGRATION
• UNDER-18 POPULATION TRENDS
• Table 2-1. Number of Children Ages 0-17 in the US by Age, 2019 - 2022 (in millions)
• Table 2-2. Number of Children Ages 0-17 in the US by Age, Projected, 2023 - 2029 (in millions)
• POPULATION TRENDS BY STATE
• Table 2-3. Population and Population Trends by State, 2024
• Table 2-4. Percent of Population 0-18 by State, 2023

CHAPTER 3: THE PUBLIC SCHOOL LANDSCAPE

• RACE AND ETHNICITY
• Table 3-1. Public School Enrollments by Race/Ethnicity, Selected Years, 2013 - 2023 (in thousands)
• Figure 3-1. Public School Enrollments by Race/Ethnicity, Selected Years, 2013 - 2023
• Table 3-2. Enrollment in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools by Level and Race/Ethnicity, 2023 (in thousands)
• IMMIGRATION
• State Trends
• Table 3-3. Share of Public School Students from Immigrant Households and Top-Sending Countries by State, Fall 2021
• Undocumented Immigration
• ENGLISH LEARNERS
• Table 3-4. English Learners (ELs) Enrolled in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, Fall 2011 through Fall 2021
• Characteristics of English Learners
• Table 3-5. English Learners by Race/Ethnicity, Fall 2021
• POVERTY
• Table 3-6. Number and Percentage of Public School Students Receiving Free or Reduced-Price Lunch, 2019-2020 to 2022-2023
• PreK-12 Enrollment and Demographics 2024-2025
• March 2025 (C) Simba Information iii
• Title I
• Table 3-7. Number and Percentage of Students Participating in Title I Programs, 2020-2021 School Year
• Table 3-8. Number and Percentage of Students Participating in Title I Public Schoolwide or Targeted Assistance Programs by Student Characteristics, 2020 - 2021
• Table 3-9. Number of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, Traditional and Charter, Eligible and Participating in Title I Programs, 2021-2022 School Year
• HOMELESSNESS
• Figure 3-2. Homeless Students in US Public Schools, 2020-2021 to 2022-2023
• Table 3-10. Percent of Homeless Students, by Race/Ethnicity, 2022-2023 School Year
• Table 3-11. Percent of Students Who Experienced Homelessness, by Subgroup, 2020-2021 through 2022-2023 School Years
• CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
• Figure 3-3. Percentage of Schools with Significant Chronic Absenteeism by Level, 2017-2018 to 2021-2022
• Figure 3-4. Percentage of Students Exhibit Chronic Absenteeism by Student Populations, 2022-2023 School Year
• IDEA AND SPECIAL NEEDS
• Table 3-12. Children 3 to 21 Years Old Served Under IDEA, Part B, 2018-2019 through 2022-2023
• Table 3-13. Percentage of Children 3 to 21 Years Old Served Under IDEA Part B by Selected Disability, 2018-2019 through 2022-2023
• GRADUATION RATES
• Table 3-14. Number of High School Graduates, 2018-2019 Through 2022-2023
• Table 3-15. Number and Distribution of Public High School Graduates by Race and Ethnicity, 2022 - 2023
• Figure 3-5. National 4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate, 2021-2022 School Year
• EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING
• Figure 3-6. Percentage of 3- to 5-year-old Children Enrolled in Public or Private School, 2012 through 2022
• Table 3-16. Percentage of 3- to 5-Year-Old Children Enrolled in School by Race/Ethnicity: Public vs. Private, Fall 2022
• Figure 3-7. Percentage of 3- and 4-Year-Olds Enrolled in State-Funded Preschool, 2002 - 2023
• Table 3-17. Percent of Population Enrolled in Early Childhood Education by Type of Public Program, 2022-2023 School Year

CHAPTER 4: ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• SCHOOL CHOICE DRIVES CHANGE
• Figure 4-1. Number of School Choice Programs on the Books by Year, 1869 - 2024
• Figure 4-2. Number of Students Participating in ESA, Tax-Credit ESA, Voucher, Tax-Credit Scholarship, and Refundable Tax Credit Programs, 1991 - 2025
• PRIVATE SCHOOLS
• Table 4-1. Private Elementary and Secondary Enrollment and Number of Schools by Level and Orientation, 2020-2021 School Year
• PreK-12 Enrollment and Demographics 2024-2025
• March 2 iv 025 (C) Simba Information
• Figure 4-3. Private Elementary and Secondary Enrollment by Orientation, 2020-2021 School Year
• Catholic Schools
• The Legal and Policy Debate Over Religious Charter Schools
• CHARTER SCHOOLS
• Table 4-2. Change in Enrollment, Charter versus Traditional District Public Schools, 2019-2020 to 2023-2024
• Table 4-3. Charter School Enrollment Growth and Share by State, 2023 - 2024
• Table 4-4. Public Charter vs. Non-Charter Enrollment Growth, One-Year and Five-Year, Black, White, and Hispanic Students, 2023 - 2024
• HOMESCHOOLING
• MICROSCHOOLING
• DUAL ENROLLMENT
• Table 4-5. Percentage of College Students Who Are Dual-Enrolled in High School by State, 2022-2023 School Year
• Figure 4-4. Growth of Dual Enrollment, 1999 - 2021
• CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
• Table 4-6. Percentage of Public High School Graduates Earning CTE Credits by Race/Ethnicity, 2019
• Table 4-7. Percentage of Public High School Graduates Earning CTE Credits by Gender, 2019
• VIRTUAL SCHOOLING
• Table 4-8. Number of Virtual Schools by Grade Level, 2018-2019 to 2022-2023
• Connectivity in Schools
• Figure 4-5. Districts and Students Meeting 1 Mbps Per Student Goal, 2015 - 2023

CHAPTER 5: A LOOK AHEAD