SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Following a national trend likely fueled by the pandemic, public schools in Marin saw a 5% drop in enrollment from the previous year, reports the Marin Independent Journal.
Enrollment in Marin schools fell by 1,564 from 35,389 students at this time a year ago to 33,825, according to the report.
Marin saw an even steeper decline a year ago during the first year of the pandemic, when enrollment fell by 1,638 students, according to the report.
According to data from 70,000 schools in 33 states, enrollment fell 2%, with kindergarten and grades one through three seeing the most precipitous declines, EdSource reports.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has seen a decline of nearly 6%, losing more than 27,000 students since last year, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier this year, the California Department of Education reported a 2.6% decline in enrollment.
Marin’s enrollment has been steadily declining about 1% per year for the past decade, Marin County Schools Superintendent Mary Jane Burke told IJ.
“The reason for this year’s decline varies by district and we suspect the pandemic played a role,” Burke told the outlet.
“Families may have left the area during the pandemic.”
Read more in The Marin Independent Journal
