Mississippi public school enrollment is set to steadily shrink. In 2007, Mississippi had 46,455 births, about 127 per day. In 2019 the number had fallen to 36,634, just over 100 per day. Add to that the fact that Mississippi’s public school enrollment declined more than any other state’s since the pandemic began.
In the Fall of 2019 American public school enrollment stood at 50,796,445 students, as it turned out, a peak likely not to be revisited in our lifetimes. Between a national baby-bust that commenced in 2007 and a COVID-19 accelerant, peak district enrollment lies in the past, and adjustments will be necessary.
The National Center for Education Statistics projected public school enrollment trends by state for the 2021-2030 period. The future is coming fast.
Public School Enrollment Projections by State, 2022 to 2030 (Source: National Center for Education Statistics):
Fall 2022Fall 2023Fall 2024Fall 2025Fall 2030Change from 2022-2030 Alabama753,900756,100757,500755,600740,400-1.80% Alaska133,100133,400133,400133,100128,500-3.50% Arizona1,144,4001,149,1001,152,3001,152,4001,155,0000.90% Arkansas497,600498,700499,600497,500487,700-2.00% California6,005,3005,934,9005,854,8005,786,2005,425,900-9.60% Colorado883,200875,800867,100857,300817,300-7.50% Connecticut512,300509,100505,400500,500475,600-7.20% Delaware141,500141,900142,300142,100137,600-2.80% DC98,00098,90099,50099,30094,700-3.40% Florida2,814,6002,806,0002,791,0002,775,8002,704,600-3.90% Georgia1,738,1001,723,0001,707,2001,686,6001,606,600-7.60% Hawaii177,200175,000173,200170,900158,900-10.30% Idaho314,300315,000315,400314,700312,000-0.70% Illinois1,924,0001,919,6001,914,1001,897,5001,800,900-6.40% Indiana1,051,4001,052,1001,050,3001,045,6001,017,800-3.20% Iowa521,500521,700520,700518,300505,900-3.00% Kansas484,500480,700476,200470,300440,300-9.10% Kentucky665,700661,800657,500650,900626,500-5.90% Louisiana705,000702,100699,600694,600671,700-4.70% Maine173,000171,600170,300168,700161,800-6.50% Maryland903,100902,100900,800895,800859,700-4.80% Massachusetts927,200923,200920,100913,700879,900-5.10% Michigan1,427,6001,418,9001,409,2001,395,8001,329,900-6.80% Minnesota902,200908,300912,800913,100903,1000.10% Mississippi429,800420,800412,000401,500364,700-15.10% Missouri882,700873,100862,100848,500792,200-10.30% Montana147,400146,600145,200143,700136,800-7.20% Nebraska334,400334,900335,100336,100329,200-1.60% Nevada494,300494,000492,400489,400476,300-3.60% New Hampshire165,900163,200160,500157,600144,600-12.80% New Jersey1,393,0001,388,2001,382,3001,372,0001,307,600-6.10% New Mexico311,400305,200299,100292,100263,700-15.30% New York2,613,0002,592,7002,573,0002,547,0002,399,100-8.20% N. Carolina1,545,0001,545,6001,545,4001,541,5001,524,800-1.30% N. Dakota120,400121,700122,600123,000123,5002.60% Ohio1,670,3001,669,4001,666,1001,657,5001,599,400-4.20% Oklahoma717,300719,600719,200715,900692,900-3.40% Oregon584,300581,900577,800571,700538,900-7.80% Pennsylvania1,712,9001,710,1001,705,2001,694,8001,626,600-5.00% Rhode Island139,500138,400137,500136,000130,200-6.70% S. Carolina790,300792,100792,400789,300772,200-2.30% S. Dakota145,500146,700147,200147,200145,8000.20% Tennessee1,014,1001,018,8001,022,0001,023,3001,029,9001.60% Texas5,495,1005,481,2005,469,3005,442,3005,311,300-3.30% Utah710,700718,700724,600727,900742,9004.50% Vermont83,60082,50081,50080,30074,600-10.80% Virginia1,254,3001,243,9001,235,2001,224,0001,177,500-6.10% Washington1,096,9001,092,7001,086,6001,077,2001,033,500-5.80% West Virginia249,100243,400237,600231,000202,400-18.70% Wisconsin840,500835,400829,100820,200780,200-7.20%
American public-school enrollment grew for 30 years after 1990. Adjusting to the new reality won’t be easy. Mississippi faces the third-largest projected decline in enrollment. In theory, school districts would simply retire low-enrollment school
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