New York City School Enrollment Shrinks to Lowest in Years as Pandemic Drags On

New York City’s student enrollment has shrunk to its lowest point in at least a decade as the largest U.S. public-school system contends with staff shortages, low attendance rates and ever-changing Covid protocols.

Although the number of kids attending the city’s public schools has declined for six consecutive years, the pandemic accelerated the trend. In the 2021-22 school year, 870,000 pre-K to 12th grade students were enrolled in New York City public schools’s traditional districts, a 5% drop from the year before and a 10% decrease since 2019, according to data released this week from the New York State Education Department. The figures exclude the city’s 3-K program for younger children, where enrollment is growing.