Colorado public school enrollment continues decline
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) annual count of public school students, conducted in October, shows public school enrollment declined for the second year in a row.
The state’s October 2023 count showed 881,464 students enrolled — 1,800 fewer than October 2022, or a 0.20% decrease.
CDE says enrollment has seen a downward trend in 3 of the past 4 years, with 2021 as an outlier; enrollment increased following a historic drop during the height of the pandemic in October 2020.
For the 2023-24 school year, the largest combined enrollment decreases were in pre-kindergarten through first grade with 3,691 fewer students than in 2022; there was a similar decline in these grade levels the year prior.
Public school systems across the country are experiencing declines in student enrollment, particularly in the early grades. We know that pre-kindergarten and kindergarten are where students build critical foundations for life-long academic success including language development, early literacy and social skills.
Susana Córdova, Colorado education commissioner
Student demographics for the October 2023 count show a 1.66% decline in white students and a 2.32% decline in students identifying as American Indians or Alaska Natives. Conversely, there was an increase in multiracial students (3.39%) and students identifying as Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders (9.18%).
The October count also shows the number of full-time homeschooled students increased (8.44%) along with the number of students registered in online education programs (3.48%) — and the number of students enrolled in charter schools decreased by 1.81%.
To see the complete 2023-24 school year student count, visit the Colorado Department of Education website.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
