California Schools See Record Enrollment Drop

0:00California Public Schools just took a hit with enrollment dropping 1.3% for the 2025-2026 school year. From transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, that 75,000 students gone statewide. The biggest plunge since the pandemic shook everything up. This isn't just public schools feeling the squeeze, private K-12 spots, fell 6.6% and homeschooling registrations dropped, 3.7%. Great source dug into the state data and found its accelerating way faster than last year's dip, blowing past the finance department's prediction of only 10,000 fewer kids. Parents are sounding the alarm, like one in Dubman saying, bigger classes and shrinking budgets mean fewer resources without lower taxes. Districts already facing cuts and closures know this ties straight to funding based on daily attendance, hitting local economies hard. Schools blame long-term trends, like families having fewer kids over the last decade, plus fears from the Trump administration's immigration, crackdowns keeping some families away, or

1:03out of classrooms altogether. With state leaders saying this downward slide won't flip anytime soon, schools are bracing for tighter belts and tough choices ahead. I'm Cory with the story, and you've been listening to California News Today, AI-powered