Jodi Cook helps her son get off the school bus in Brooklyn, NY, September 20, 2021.
(Hannah Beier /.)
Enrollment in New York City public schools has fallen by about 17,000 students this year, with a drop of about 64,000 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to preliminary data released Friday by the City Ministry of Education.
The city’s school district, which is the largest public school system in the United States, enrolled approximately 938,000 students in fall 2021, up from 955,000 the previous year. The district saw a 1.9% drop in enrollment this year, compared to a 4.7% drop in 2020, when districts across the country switched to virtual learning. Large school districts have struggled to switch to online courses, and the New York DOE has provided iPads to thousands of homeless students to ensure they can participate in distance learning.
However, enrollment in charter schools in the district continued to increase, albeit at a slightly slower pace than in previous years. About 4,000 new students enrolled in charters this fall, up from 10,000 new students the year before.
Including charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, there are over a million students enrolled in New York City public schools. The DOE has reported a decline in enrollment since 2016, with 2020 having the largest drop, while charter school enrollment fell from 114,000 total students in 2016 to 143,000 this year.
DOE officials claimed New York was in a better position than other major districts, saying Los Angeles and Chicago each lost a greater percentage of students.
“As the largest school district in the country, we have been impacted by the nationwide enrollment fluctuation that has affected schools across the country, and this data shows that enrollment is leveling off as we continue. incredible recovery of our city, ”DOE spokeswoman Katie O’Hanlon said in a statement. to the media.
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Zachary Evans is a news editor for National Review Online. He is a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces and a violist by training.
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