Enrollment at New York City public schools fell by more than 20,000 students this year, according to preliminary data released by the city’s education department — a sign the nation’s largest school system is still suffering an alarming trend that accelerated during the pandemic.
The city reported Monday that roughly 884,400 students enrolled in the system this fall, down about 2.4% from 906,248 last year. Officials said they would hold off on funding cuts tied to lower enrollment through at least the end of the school year.
New York City public schools’ have lost approximately 100,000 students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which experts attribute to a mix of factors, including an affordability crisis pushing families out of the city, declining birth rates, the system’s difficulty serving some students with disabilities and an increase in alternatives such as, DIY “microschools” and homeschools.
The city’s charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run, enrolled more than 150,000 students last year. This year’s enrollment figures for those schools have not yet been released.
The city’s enrollment decline reflects a major problem facing school systems across the country.
At the city’s public schools, enrollment has declined every academic year since 2020, with the notable exception of 2023. That year, officials attributed a slight increase in enrollment to the influx of migrant students who arrived in New York. This year’s drop may be an indication that many migrant families have left the city amid the Trump administration’s mass deportations, or that those families do not feel safe sending their kids to school.
“We know that stable and robust school budgets are critical to giving our students the world-class education they deserve,” said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “That’s why, as we navigate enrollment fluctuations and uncertainty around federal funding, we’re committed to providing stability.”
While city officials said they will not take funds away from schools for now, enrollment remains a primary factor in city, state and federal funding formulas for the education system. If the decline continues, experts warned the city’s public schools would eventually face cuts.
“Every student lost decreases revenue, which decreases staffing and how much support you can provide for kids,” said Jonathan Collins, an assistant professor of political science and education at Columbia University's Teachers College.
Collins said city and state officials may have to rethink their funding formulas, while leaders look at ways to address both the affordability crisis and academic challenges causing parents to pull their kids from the city’s schools or leave the five boroughs altogether. He said families often cite the uneven quality of schools as their reasons for leaving.
The data showed that the city’s free 3-K program bucked the trend. The number of students in those classrooms ticked up slightly, while enrollment in pre-K through 12th grade declined precipitously.
“The increase in 3-K suggests that there is a clear demand from families for their kids to be entered into the school system, but the decline at the higher grades suggests that families who have been in the system are leaving,” Collins said.
