Colorado sees dip in school enrollment for the first time in three decades

For the first time in three decades, Colorado is seeing a drop in year-to-year student enrollment. Overall, Colorado schools posted an estimated 3.3 percent drop in enrollment in fall 2020 compared to 2019 with more than 30,000 fewer students in preschool through 12th grade.

The data shows the total statewide enrollment for preschool to 12th grade was 883,000 in 2020. The last time the state saw an enrollment drop was back in the fall of 1988.

District 20 in Colorado Springs also saw a drop of about a thousand kids. It’s the first time in about a decade that they have seen a dip in enrollment.

“This dip in enrollment is concerning on two fronts," said Allison Cortex with District 20. "There is the educational gap front, will these students have significant learning loss when they come back. And then there is the fiscal front, and that’s the impact in every school district in the funding that allows us to help all students.”

The number of students reported as homeschooled doubled with nearly 16,000 students counted in fall 2020 compared to the nearly 8,000 in 2019. A total of 32,000 students registered in online educational programs this year which is almost 10,000 more students than in 2019, a 43% increase.

“We actually saw this year because of the pandemic, we saw this dip. Especially at the kindergarten level. Our kindergartners are really down so we believe that the pandemic lead folks to keep their kindergartners back a year,” Cortez said.

In total, About 140 of the state’s 178 school districts reported drops in enrollment in 2020.