News Update

Enrollment at San Francisco schools declines by 3,500 students

Enrollment at San Francisco Unified has declined by 3,500 in the past two years, which could translate to a $35 million decline in state funding, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In a report to the school board that will be presented Tuesday, district officials wrote that “enrollment declines have been a widespread phenomenon, and demographic trends in SF do not point to a large, near-term increase in children. We need to establish program capacities based on current reality by looking holistically. Capacities determine staffing needs and student seats, and should reflect our new normal of enrollment levels.”

The Chronicle noted that trends in San Francisco don’t suggest that the enrollment trends will reverse. During the pandemic, the city saw a 17% drop in the number of babies born compared with the previous year, the newspaper reported.