Across the country, shrinking enrollment has been one of the most troubling trends in public education. But it is particularly worrisome in Los Angeles County.
My colleague Howard Blume has been reporting on such struggles at the Los Angeles Unified School District and most L.A. County districts.
The reasons for the enrollment declines vary, while solutions aren’t around the corner, though some suggest fewer students equals more resources to those who remain.
Let’s dive into his reporting and see what the numbers say.
A slow, steady decline for California, Los Angeles County
Across California, enrollment dropped by 1.3% — about 75,000 students — over the last year.
L.A. County, with 80 school districts, has far more students than any other California county. L.A. County public school enrollment for the 2025-26 academic year decreased from the prior year by 32,953 students, or 2.6%, to 1,242,816. That means that the county represents 44% of the statewide decline. By comparison, the county comprises about 22% of the state’s students.
Schools in L.A. County and especially those in the LAUSD are reporting the steepest decline in enrollment in California, based on the latest state data.
How LAUSD is fairing
For L.A. Unified, the decline was 16,765 students, or 4.5%. L.A. Unified’s share of the statewide decrease is 22.4%. The district has about 7% of the state’s public school students.
Per the state numbers, the L.A. Unified enrollment dropped from 369,830 last year to 353,065.
The decline comes at the same time that Census Bureau numbers show a demographic shift that could have long-term implications on the region’s economy.
Placing California within a national context
California’s percentage decline is about average compared with 39 states that have so far released enrollment figures for the current school year.
All 39 have recorded enrollment decreases, based on an analysis by the California Department of Education. States with a larger percentage decline than California include Hawaii, New Hampshire and New York.
Reasons for the decline
The statewide figures correlate to declining birth rates nationwide, although other factors are in play locally, including in Los Angeles County, such as housing costs, a decline in immigration and aggressive federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.
“There are some surprises in these data, but the decline itself shouldn’t be surprising,” said Thomas J. Kane, director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard. “Declining birth rates inevitably mean declining enrollment. The size of the decline should be manageable — but only if schools adjust their plans now, rather than wait.”
Is any school system growing?
School systems with higher enrollment include Elk Grove Unified, which gained 1,097 students, a 1.7% increase.
Vacaville Unified enrolled 557 more students, a 4.9% increase. Counties with higher enrollment included San Joaquin, Placer and Sutter.
Notes from the reporter’s notebook
Blume, The Times’ education reporter, noted there were many takeaways for readers.
“There is no one simple answer for this, although some people would like a simple answer,” he said. “Critics of L.A. Unified would like to blame the overall quality of the school system or particular programs or political positions of the school board. But people dissatisfied with the K-12 school system do not appear to be leaving in larger numbers than previously.”
He pointed to enrollment numbers also dropping for private, home and charter schools.
“Charter schools saw explosive enrollment growth over the last 25 years and more recently have leveled off or even declined somewhat in some places, including in L.A. County” Blume said.
Conversely, home schooling received a big boost in activity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when public-school campuses were typically closed for a year or more.
“That sector is fading somewhat but still has more students than pre-pandemic,” Blume said. “It’s also accurate that traditional or school-district operated schools are still the choice of the vast majority of families.”
School systems typically cope with declining enrollment by closing schools and cutting staff, among other options. So far, LAUSD and other districts have resisted such alternatives.
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