Nearly Four in Ten Missouri Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates
179 of Missouri's 455 districts posted their highest-ever graduation rate in 2025, including 13 that hit 100 percent with meaningful cohort sizes.
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Fewer Kentucky Students Need a Fifth Year to Graduate
The gap between Kentucky's four-year and five-year graduation rates fell to 0.6 percentage points in 2025, down from 2.1 points during COVID. But English learners still gain nearly 7 points from extra time.
Iowa's Graduation Rate Recovered to 88%, but the Number of Districts Below 70% Doubled in 2024
Eight Iowa districts graduated fewer than 70% of students in 2024, double the number from the year before, with Fort Dodge and Burlington among the mid-size districts on the list.
Florida Virtual School's Graduation Rate Climbed 30 Points, From 66.6% to 96.6%
Florida Virtual School's graduation rate climbed 30 points in eight years, from 66.6% to 96.6%, while its cohort grew 56%. The state's flagship online program now outperforms most traditional districts.
Two in Three Arizona Districts Never Recovered From COVID
Five years on, only 33% of Arizona districts have regained their 2020 enrollment. The state has lost 72,026 students since its peak, with losses rising.
Peak Was 2016, Not 2020: Wyoming's Decline Predates COVID by Four Years
Wyoming's enrollment peaked at 94,002 in 2016, driven by the energy boom. The state was already losing students before the pandemic arrived.
Vermont's 40-Point Attendance Gap: Same Size, Opposite Outcomes
Harwood (17% chronic rate) and Rutland City (56.7%) enroll nearly the same number of students, but a 39.7 percentage-point gap separates their attendance outcomes.
One in Two Dallas Students Is Learning English
Dallas ISD crossed 50% English learner enrollment in 2024, joining 53 other Texas districts where a majority of students are classified LEP.
A 2017 Reclassification Cut South Carolina's Native American Student Count in Half, on Paper
Native American enrollment fell 49.6% since 2015, but most of the drop is a reporting artifact. A 2017 reclassification into multiracial moved 2,065 students into a new category in one year.
Fort Gibson Posted a 52% Graduation Rate in 2019. In 2025, It Was 99.1%.
Fort Gibson posted the longest active improvement streak in Oklahoma — five straight years of gains from 52% to 99.1%, with economically disadvantaged and Native American students at 100%.
Ohio Now 73,805 Below Pre-COVID Enrollment
Five years after COVID, Ohio's enrollment hasn't recovered. It's gotten worse. Two in three districts sit below their pandemic floor as losses accelerate.
NYC Gained Share of State Enrollment for 14 Straight Years. Then It Stopped.
NYC's share of New York enrollment rose from 36.8% to 40.4% as upstate shrank faster. COVID reversed the dynamic, and the city is now losing ground.
Espanola's Graduation Rate Climbed to 65.5% in 2017, but a 44-Point Gap Separates Its Native American Students
Espanola's overall graduation rate rose to 65.5% in 2017, but a 44-point gap separated its Native American students, the widest such gap of any New Mexico district that year.
How McKenzie County Absorbed the Oil Boom and Kept Graduation at 85.8%
McKenzie County grew enrollment 344.8% and still graduates 85.8% of seniors. Other oil-boom districts grew just as fast and now sit lower in the state's graduation table.
Orleans Parish Crossed 80% for the First Time, but a 34-Point Gap Separates White and Hispanic Graduates
Orleans Parish hit 82% in 2024 and held above 80% in 2025, but a 34-point gap between white and Hispanic students exposes deep inequity within the all-charter system.
Indiana's White-Black Graduation Gap Was Nearly Halved in Three Years
The white-Black graduation gap in Indiana narrowed from 12.1 to 6.5 percentage points, with most of the closure happening in a rapid three-year span after 2022.
Georgia's Special Ed Graduation Rate Has More Than Doubled
Georgia's special ed graduation rate rose from 29.8% to 78.4% in 14 years, the largest gain of any subgroup. The gap to peers shrank from 42 to 10 points.
Florida's Share of High-Absence Schools Slips From Its 2021-22 Peak, Down to 73%
Florida's share of schools with high chronic absenteeism eased from its 2021-22 peak of 76.3% to 73.0% by 2023-24, with about one in four schools now below the threshold. 496 schools still have a majority chronically absent.
NCC Vo-Tech Graduates 98% of Black Students
New Castle County Vo-Tech has essentially eliminated the equity gap in graduation rates, with Black students outperforming white peers by 2.6 percentage points.
174 California Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates in 2025
Nearly 40% of California districts recorded their highest-ever graduation rate in 2025, including six of the largest, while only 37 hit all-time lows.
Arizona's Gender Absence Gap Emerged After COVID: Boys Are Now Consistently More Absent
Before COVID, Arizona had no gender gap in chronic absenteeism. By 2024-25, boys were 0.5 points above girls, a small but persistent new pattern.
Asian Students in Arkansas Graduate at 96 Percent. No Other Racial Group Is Close.
Asian students in Arkansas reached a 96.3% graduation rate in 2024, gaining 5.4 points since 2016, the largest improvement of any racial group.
The Poverty Attendance Gap Grew by 4.4 Points Since the Pandemic
Wisconsin's chronic absenteeism gap by income widened from 16.3 to 20.7 points since 2019, with nearly 1 in 3 lower-income students now chronically absent.
At Its 2020 Graduation Rate, North Dakota's Growing Class of 2024 Would Have Earned 573 More Diplomas
North Dakota's cohort keeps growing, but at its 2020 peak rate the class of 2024 would have earned 573 more diplomas. The cumulative gap is about 1,633.
One Parish Holds a Quarter of Louisiana's English Learners
Jefferson Parish enrolls 8,718 English learners at a 19.2% rate, nearly four times the state average and a quarter of Louisiana's EL total.
The Black-White Absence Gap Narrowed by Two-Thirds in Idaho
Black students cut their chronic absenteeism rate from 22.1% to 15.9% while white students barely moved, narrowing the gap from 9.1 points to 3.0.
Woodbridge Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 13 Points in One Year
Woodbridge's chronic absenteeism rate fell from 18.4% to 5.2% in 2024-25, the largest single-year improvement among Delaware traditional districts.
Half of Limestone County's Students Are Virtual
Alabama's three fastest-growing districts owe their growth to statewide virtual schools run by Pearson and Stride, not local enrollment gains.
Fairfax County Graduates 93% of Its Students. Three of Its Schools Tell a Different Story.
Fairfax County's 93.4% graduation rate masks three alternative schools where 40-79% of students drop out, serving 431 students where dropping out is the majority outcome.
Texas's Quiet Success Story: English Learner Graduation Rates Surge 4.2 Points in Four Years
Texas English learners gained 4.2 percentage points in graduation rate over four years, the largest improvement of any subgroup, cutting the gap with all students by more than half.
Corridor of Shame, 30 Years After Abbeville: Florence 2 Crosses 90% and Shows Geography Isn't Destiny
Thirty years after Abbeville, Florence 2 posted the largest graduation-rate gain in SC and crossed 90%, even as the 14 reporting Corridor of Shame districts still trail the rest of the state.
A Law Turned Three Rural Districts Into Virtual Giants
After Missouri removed enrollment barriers in 2022, three small districts hosting virtual academies grew by up to 559%, reshaping the state's enrollment map.
90% Survival Rate, With an Asterisk
Hawaii's 9th-to-12th survival rate hits 90% for the first time, but a 2024 reclassification of students who receive special education inflated the count. The real gain is smaller.
English Learners Made a 15-Point Leap in Two Years, the Fastest Improvement of Any Group
The graduation rate for Alabama students who are English learners rose from 67.9% to 83.3% in two years, the fastest gain of any subgroup and an all-time high.
70 Nevada Schools Where a Majority of Students Are Chronically Absent
The number of Nevada schools with chronic rates above 50% surged from 51 to 70 in 2024-25, reversing three years of progress. Clark County accounts for 38.
West Fargo Brought Chronic Absenteeism Back Down. What Can Other Districts Learn?
While neighboring Fargo's rate doubled to 26%, West Fargo cut its chronic absence from a 15% peak back to 12%, with mid-year 2024-25 data showing just 3.3%.
East Helena Grew 54% in Seven Years
East Helena K-12 added 681 students since 2019, growing 54% as housing on a former Superfund site draws families priced out of Helena.
Mississippi's Kindergarten Classes Shrank 15%. High Schools Haven't Felt It Yet.
Kindergarten enrollment fell 14.7% since 2016 while 12th grade barely moved. As smaller cohorts age up, high school enrollment will eventually collapse too.
Hastings Has Not Grown in 19 Years
Hastings is the only Minnesota district to decline every single year in the state's dataset. The 19-year streak has erased 1,118 students, 22% of enrollment.
Dearborn Grew While Michigan Shrank. Then It Hit a Wall.
Immigration-fueled growth made Dearborn Michigan's third-largest district. Seven consecutive years of decline now threaten that story.
Kansas Has Lost 22 School Districts in 21 Years
Over half of Kansas school districts now enroll fewer than 500 students. Thirty-two have vanished since 2005, with four disappearing this year alone.
Connecticut Graduates 89% — and Can't Get Higher
Connecticut's four-year graduation rate has oscillated between 88.4% and 89.6% for four straight years, erasing the pre-COVID trajectory of steady gains.
Denver LEP Chronic Absenteeism Surged 3 Points as ICE Fears Spread
Chronic absenteeism among Denver's LEP students jumped to 44.2% in 2024-25, the sharpest increase among any subgroup except students who are currently homeless, as the district pointed to immigration enforcement as a factor.
102,000 Homeless Students Chronically Absent in California -- and the Number Keeps Climbing
The chronic rate for students who are currently homeless has fallen from its COVID peak, but the count reached a new high of 102,268 as California's housing crisis feeds its attendance crisis.
Alpena: A 3,000-Student District That Kept Improving After Everyone Else Stopped
Alpena cut chronic absenteeism from 26% to under 10% across two consecutive years while 87% of Arkansas districts got worse. The rural district now outperforms its own pre-COVID baseline.
For Every 100 Seniors, Alaska Has Only 84 Kindergartners
Alaska's kindergarten enrollment has fallen 15% since 2020 while 12th grade hit an all-time high, creating a pipeline inversion that will accelerate decline for years.
Providence Hits Its Highest Graduation Rate Under State Intervention
Providence posted a 79.4% graduation rate in 2024, its highest on record and a 5.8-point improvement since the state took over the district in 2019.
1 in 7: Wisconsin's Special Ed Share Hits a Record
Wisconsin's special education share hit 14.7% in 2025, crossing the 1-in-7 threshold at an all-time high even as total enrollment fell.
Nearly Half of Native American Students in Washington Miss Too Much School
Native American chronic absenteeism reached 45.6% in Washington, with tribal school districts reporting rates above 60% and a widening gap with white students.
One in Seven Virginia Students Is an English Learner
Virginia added 14,686 English learners in two years while total enrollment fell. Two divisions are now majority-LEP, and the growth is spreading statewide.
Only 8 of 60 Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Absence Levels
Despite nationally recognized attendance campaigns, only 13.3% of Rhode Island districts have recovered to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism levels.
PA English Learners Close the Chronic Absence Gap
English learner students are the only group in Pennsylvania whose chronic absence gap has fully closed, matching the statewide rate at 20.4%.
The White-Hispanic Graduation Gap in Oregon Has Shrunk From 15 Points to Under 5
Oregon's white-Hispanic graduation gap narrowed from 14.7 to 4.6 points since 2010. Hispanic students gained 24.7 points; in 23 districts they now lead.
The Omaha Metro Donut: 27.8 Percentage Points Separate the Core from Its Suburbs
Gretna graduates 99.3% of its seniors. Omaha Public Schools, just across a municipal line, graduates 71.5%. The 27.8-point gap maps onto the most visible divide in Nebraska education.
Hispanic Students Climbed From 52% to 83% in 18 Years
Hispanic students in North Carolina have cut the white-Hispanic graduation gap from 21 points to 6.5 while their cohort grew nearly fivefold. A 2024 breakout may signal the end of a 7-year plateau.
St. Louis City: Stuck at 70 Percent While the Rest of Missouri Soars
Missouri's graduation rate hit an all-time high, but St. Louis City remains trapped at 70 percent with a collapsing Hispanic rate and a shrinking cohort.
Kentucky's Widest Graduation Gap Belongs to English Learners
English learners graduate at 79%, 14.6 points below the state average, after a single-year reversal erased four years of progress.
The Special Ed Gap Is 18 Points -- Iowa's Most Persistent Equity Divide
Special education students in Iowa graduate at 70%, 18 points below the state average, and the gap has been stuck between 18 and 20 points for six straight years.
Hardee County's Freefall: From 91.4% to 73.6% in Four Years
Hardee County has declined for four consecutive years, losing 17.8 percentage points since 2020. Its male graduation rate of 69.3% is 18.6 points below the state average.
1 in 10 Arizona Students Is Now an English Learner
English learner enrollment surged 21% since 2022 even as Arizona lost 59,000 students overall, crossing the 10% threshold for the first time.
Rock Springs: The Canary in the Gas Mine
Sweetwater #1 has lost 22.1% of enrollment since its 2016 peak of 5,749 students, the steepest decline among Wyoming's mid-size and large districts.
One in Four of Vermont's Chronically Absent Students Receives Special Education Services
Students receiving special education services make up 25.4% of Vermont's chronically absent and recovered just 24.8% from the COVID peak, far less than their peers.
English Learners Lead Utah's Graduation Gains: 12.1 Points Since 2017, the Fastest Improvement of Any Subgroup
Utah's English learners improved graduation rates by 12.1 points since 2017, the fastest gain of any group, still trailing the state average by 10 points.
Granite District's Two Utahs: Skyline High at 97% and Granger High at 73%, Seven Miles Apart
Granite District's graduation rates span 97% at Skyline to 73% at Granger, seven miles apart. The gap is widening as overall district numbers improve.
Licking Heights: From 30 Asian Students to 1,471 in a Decade
A Columbus-area district grew 36.6% while Ohio shrank, fueled by Nepali, Somali, and other immigrant families drawn to affordable housing and jobs.
The 9th-Grade Bottleneck That Unclogged Itself
New York's 9th-grade bulge shrank from 18% to 5% over two decades as survival rates climbed from 71% to 92%, a quiet success inside the enrollment decline.
The Extra Year: How a 5th Year Gives Black Students a 7-Point Boost
Black students gain 7 points and Native American students 5.8 points with a fifth year, the largest gains among all subgroups in New Mexico.
Four Students, One District
Marmarth School District enrolled 4 students in 2025-26, making it the smallest of 33 North Dakota districts under 100 students.
Louisiana's Graduation Rate Hit a Record 85%. For English Learners, That Ceiling Has Barely Moved.
Louisiana hit a record 85% graduation rate in 2025, but students classified as English learners remain at 51.7%, a 33-point gap unchanged for seven years.
Indiana's Record Graduation Rate Comes With a Growing Asterisk
Indiana's grad rate gap (state vs. federal) nearly tripled since 2020. About 1,600 students now earn diplomas through waivers, not standard requirements.
At Nearly 9 in 10 Hawaii Schools, Native Hawaiian Students Miss More School Than Their Peers
Native Hawaiian students are chronically absent at higher rates than the overall student body at 88.7% of Hawaii schools, with a 25-point gap versus Asian students that has widened since COVID.
Maunaloa Elementary: From 63% Chronic Absenteeism to 2% on a Remote Molokai Island
Maunaloa Elementary on Molokai dropped from 63% chronic absenteeism in 2022 to 2% in 2025, the second-lowest rate in Hawaii and 13 points better than its own pre-pandemic baseline.
Crawford County Graduated 42% of Its Students. Now It Graduates 93%.
Crawford County posted a 50.7-point graduation rate gain since 2011, the second-largest in Georgia, one of 15 districts rising from below 60% to above 90%.
Collier County Defies Florida's Attendance Crisis: 14 Points Below the State Average
With a 17.4% chronic absenteeism rate, Collier County has been below the Florida average every year since tracking began, and the gap keeps growing.
Lake Forest Crossed 90%. No District Gained More.
Lake Forest posted Delaware's largest graduation-rate gain: up 12 points from its 2019 trough to 90.4%, first among all 16 traditional districts.
White Students Fell Below 50% in 2020. The Gap Keeps Widening.
Connecticut's public schools became majority-minority in 2020. Since then, white enrollment fell to 44.7% and Hispanic students have grown to 32.5%.
The White-Hispanic Graduation Gap Nearly Vanishes: Just 2.1 Points in 2025
The white-Hispanic graduation gap in California shrank from 6.5 to 2.1 percentage points as 287,000 Hispanic students approach graduation parity with white peers.
106 Arizona Districts Improved Chronic Absenteeism Three Years Running
106 Arizona districts improved chronic absenteeism every year from 2023 to 2025. Fort Thomas dropped 45 points; Tuba City cut its rate from 57% to 28%.
70 Arkansas Districts Report Exactly 95 Percent Graduation Rates. None of Them Are Real.
Nearly 30% of Arkansas districts report exactly 95.0% graduation rates, a data suppression artifact that hides true performance.
Madison's Chronic Absenteeism Rate Tripled in a Decade
Madison Metropolitan's chronic rate went from 7.1% in 2011 to 29.6% in 2025, a tripling that began before COVID and shows no sign of returning to baseline.
Washington District Cut Chronic Absence by 4.4 Points in Three Years
While most Utah districts remain stuck above pre-COVID absence levels, Washington District in St. George has posted three straight years of improvement.
One Utah District Just Crossed the 50% Chronic Absence Line
Uintah District's chronic absenteeism rate surged to 50.9% in 2025, making it the only traditional district in Utah where most students are missing school.
Fewer Than Half of North Dakota's Youth in Foster Care Graduate on Time
North Dakota's foster care graduation rate has collapsed to 44.7%, down 28 points from 73.1% in 2020, falling well below the national average.
NC's English Learners Went from Below-Average to Above-Average Absence
English learners in North Carolina had lower chronic absence than the state average before COVID. Now they are 3.9 points above it, a complete reversal.
Multiracial Students Now Tied with Hispanic as Maine's Third-Largest Group
Maine's multiracial enrollment surged 62% in nine years to 6,652. Three growing groups converge as white enrollment sheds nearly 20,000.
Only 7 of 74 Louisiana Parishes Have Recovered From COVID
Seven years after the pandemic, 90.5% of Louisiana parishes remain below 2019 enrollment. The deficit is deepening, not closing.
Snake River District's 3.1% Rate Shows What's Possible in Rural Idaho
Snake River District dropped from 10.3% to 3.1% chronic absenteeism in two years (less than one-quarter of the state average) in a cluster of eastern Idaho districts defying the statewide trend.
86% and Stuck: Why Hawaii's Graduation Rate Stopped Climbing
Hawaii's graduation rate flatlined near 86% after a decade of gains. A 17-point Pacific Islander gap reveals who the plateau leaves behind.
Native Hawaiian Graduation Rate Falls to 80.3%
Native Hawaiian students lost 3.2 percentage points since 2021 while the state held steady, opening the widest equity gap in nine years of data.
Seaford Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 21 Points in Three Years
The small Sussex County district went from one of Delaware's worst attendance performers to beating the state average, with 753 fewer students chronically absent.
One in Three Alabama Districts at All-Time Enrollment Lows
Fifty-one Alabama districts hit record-low enrollment in 2025-26, including the four largest. The decline spans urban, rural, and suburban systems.
Danville's Graduation Rate Has Fallen Every Year Since 2019. Its Dropout Rate Has Nearly Doubled.
Danville City's graduation rate dropped from 81.8% to 73.3% over four years, while its dropout rate climbed from 9.4% to 17%, the largest increase in Virginia.
El Paso's Slide: The Border City's Graduation Rate Drops 5.3 Points While the Valley Thrives
El Paso ISD's graduation rate fell from 87.6% to 82.3% over five years while Rio Grande Valley districts like McAllen ISD climbed to 98.3%. Same demographics, different trajectories.
English Learners Are Falling Furthest Behind in South Carolina's Graduation Gains
LEP students saw the steepest subgroup decline in SC, dropping from 80.3% to 77.8% as the overall state rate climbed from 81.0% to 86.7%.
One in Three Nebraska Seniors Is Chronically Absent
Nebraska's 12th-grade chronic absenteeism rate hit 34.5% in 2024-25, more than double the kindergarten rate and triple the third-grade rate.
38 Connecticut Districts Never Had a Chronic Absenteeism Problem, Even During COVID's First Year
Thirty-eight districts stayed below the state average for chronic absenteeism every year from 2012 through 2020, showing that sustained low absence is achievable across diverse community types.
Montgomery's 17-Point Crash Was the Biggest in the State. Two Years Later, It's Still Not Back.
Montgomery County's graduation rate crashed 17 points in 2023, the largest single-year district drop in Alabama. Two years later, it has recovered only partially.
Nevada's Charter Schools Beat Traditional Districts on Attendance
SPCSA charter schools have a weighted chronic rate of 23.3% vs. 33.9% for traditional districts. But the charter sector includes both the state's best and worst schools.
Only 14% of North Dakota Districts Have Recovered to Pre-Pandemic Absence Levels
Just 13 of 93 districts with comparable data have returned to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates, while 31% are at their all-time worst in 2024.
Denver Worsened While Aurora Quietly Improved: A Tale of Two Urban Districts
Denver's chronic absenteeism reversed course in 2024-25 while neighboring Aurora kept improving for a third straight year, narrowing a gap that once seemed structural.
Hispanic Students Are 55% of California's Enrollment but 65% of Its Chronically Absent
739,000 Hispanic students are chronically absent, making up nearly two-thirds of the state's attendance crisis. The Hispanic-white gap doubled since pre-COVID.
The 33 Districts That Never Hit 20%: Arkansas's Attendance Floor
While Arkansas's statewide chronic absence rate lurched from 14% to 27%, 33 districts kept their rates below 20% in every single measured year — including the COVID spike.
The White-Black Graduation Gap Narrowed to 4.8 Points in 2018, Then Doubled Back to 9
Rhode Island's white-Black graduation gap was closing steadily until 2018, reaching a record-low 4.8 points. Six years later, it's back to 9 points.
Multiracial Students Tripled in Wisconsin, and They're Still Growing
Multiracial enrollment tripled from 13,197 to 44,968 in 14 years, making it Wisconsin's fastest-growing demographic by a wide margin.
Quillayute Valley's 4.6% Chronic Rate Is the Lowest in Washington
A 4,480-student district on the Olympic Peninsula has stayed below the state average for 11 straight years, with a 2025 chronic rate one-sixth of the statewide norm.
One in Three Virginia Divisions at Record-Low Enrollment
43 of Virginia's 131 school divisions hit all-time low enrollment in 2025, from Virginia Beach to Highland County's 208 students.
Providence's 20-Point Turnaround: From 57% to 36% Chronic Absenteeism in Two Years
Providence Public Schools cut chronic absenteeism from 57% to 36% in two years under state control — the only large RI district to recover to pre-COVID levels.
York City's 27-Point Recovery From 63% Chronic Absence
York City SD dropped from 63.4% chronic absence to 36.8% in two years, the second-largest improvement in Pennsylvania. The recovery crossed every subgroup.
Medford's 8-Year Reporting Streak: From 62% to 88% Graduation Rate
Medford SD 549C improved its graduation rate for 8 consecutive reporting years, climbing from 61.6% in 2010 to 88.1% in 2025.
Nearly Half of Nebraska's English Learners Don't Graduate on Time — and the Crisis Is Accelerating
Nebraska's English learner graduation rate has fallen from 64% to 52% over 14 years while the overall rate barely moved. The 41-point gap to white students is the state's widest equity chasm.
The White-Black Graduation Gap Halved, But Progress Has Stalled
North Carolina cut the white-Black graduation gap from 13 points to 5 in a decade. Then it stopped narrowing. The remaining gap means about 1,800 Black students per year who would graduate at white rates.
Two Cities, Two Trajectories: Kansas City Surges Past St. Louis
Kansas City 33 and St. Louis City were within 2 points of each other in 2019. By 2025, an 18-point chasm had opened between Missouri's two largest urban districts.
Hispanic Graduation Gains Erased in a Single Year
Kentucky's Hispanic graduation rate climbed 5 points from 2022 to 2024, then dropped 2.1 points in 2025, the only racial group to decline while every other improved.
Iowa's White-Black Graduation Gap Is 15 Points -- And It Hasn't Budged
The gap between white and Black graduation rates in Iowa has held steady at 15-18 points for six years, even as the state's overall rate returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Nearly Half of Florida's Districts Now Graduate 90% — Up From Less Than 10% Eight Years Ago
The number of Florida county districts graduating 90% or more of their students has surged from 6 to 29 since 2016, while districts below 70% have disappeared entirely.
Queen Creek Doubled in Eight Years. Now the Growth Is Slowing.
Queen Creek Unified grew 117% since 2018, the fastest traditional district in Arizona. But annual gains have fallen from 2,299 to 374, raising questions about what comes next.
Only 6 of 48 Districts Have Recovered from COVID
Wyoming was among the first states to reopen schools, yet only 6 of 48 districts have returned to pre-COVID enrollment. The post-pandemic decline has been 2.7 times larger than the initial COVID drop.
19 Vermont Districts Improved Their Chronic Absenteeism Every Year Since the 2022 Peak
Three-quarters of Vermont districts with complete data cut their chronic rate in consecutive years, though many remain well above pre-COVID baselines.
Texas Added 1.1 Million Students, Then Enrollment Growth Stopped
Texas grew by 1.1 million students over 15 years, but the growth rate halved every five years. In 2026, it fell.
Multiracial Students Are Now SC's Fourth-Largest Racial Group
Multiracial enrollment has surged 73% since 2017, adding 21,312 students to become the state's fourth-largest racial group and reshaping how schools count their students.
Oklahoma's Graduation Gap by Income Is Closing for the First Time in Seven Years
The graduation gap between students who are economically disadvantaged and their peers peaked at 14.3 points, then shrank to 10.6 over two years.
11 Ohio Districts Have Lost Students Every Year Since 2015
Eleven districts have declined every single year for 11 straight years, losing 30.7% of their combined enrollment. Most are clustered in northeast Ohio.
From 69% to 86%: How Hobbs Became One of New Mexico's Graduation Success Stories
Hobbs Municipal Schools climbed from 69% to 86% graduation in eight years, outpacing wealthier districts while serving a high-poverty, majority-Hispanic population.
One in Three Pre-K Students in New Jersey Is Chronically Absent
NJ pre-K chronic absenteeism hit 29.7% in 2023-24, double the state average, even as the state expands universal preschool to 80,000 children.
Six Districts, Half the State
Six urban districts now serve 49.2% of North Dakota students, up from 46.6% in 2008, as the state's 159 remaining districts split the other half.
Graduation Rate for Louisiana Students in Foster Care Nearly Doubled, From 35% to 64% in Seven Years
Louisiana's graduation rate for students in foster care climbed from 34.8% to 63.5% since 2018, the largest improvement of any subgroup, though volatility and a 21-point gap remain.
East Chicago's Graduation Rate Climbed 30 Points and Closed Its Gap With Indiana to Under 2
School City of East Chicago lifted its graduation rate from 59.6% in 2017 to 90.0% in 2025, closing a gap with the state average from nearly 28 points to under 2.
Georgia's Hispanic Cohort Doubled. The Rate Still Climbed 25 Points.
Georgia's Hispanic graduating class grew from 11,654 to 27,276 in 14 years while the graduation rate rose from 57.6% to 82.3%, producing 15,739 additional diplomas per year.
Same Size, Different Worlds: Putnam and Walton Counties Have a 33-Point Absenteeism Gap
Putnam County's chronic absenteeism rate is 57.5%. Walton County's is 24.3%. Both are rural districts with similar enrollment. The gap has nearly doubled since 2019.
Two Districts Where One in Three Boys Don't Graduate on Time
In Seaford and Christina, male graduation rates sit near 67%, more than 13 percentage points behind female peers. Vo-tech districts show the gap can close.
Oakland Unified's Graduation Rate Falls to 75.1%, Lowest Among California's Large Urban Districts
Oakland Unified's graduation rate dropped 5.5 points in one year to 75.1%, the largest decline of any large California district and the lowest among urban peers.
The Hispanic-White Chronic Absence Gap Nearly Doubled After COVID in Arizona
The gap between Hispanic and white chronic absenteeism in Arizona jumped from 5.5 points before COVID to 10.1 points, with no sign of narrowing.
Arkansas's Graduation Gap by Income Is 2.1 Points. In Most States, It Is Ten Times That.
Economically disadvantaged students in Arkansas graduate at 86.9%, just 2.1 points below the state average, one of the narrowest income gaps in the nation.
Wisconsin's Charter Schools Have Nearly Double the Chronic Absenteeism Rate
Charter schools in Wisconsin have a weighted chronic absenteeism rate of 30.6% versus 16.9% for traditional districts, a gap that nearly doubled since 2019.
Minot's Graduation Rate Crossed Below 70% in 2024, Down 19 Points Since 2013
Minot Public Schools crossed below 70% graduation for the first time in 2024, capping a 19.3-point decline from 89.2% in 2013.
Durham's Chronic Absence Recovery Has Stalled at 37%
Durham Public Schools improved from a 41% peak to 37%, then flatlined. The district has the highest chronic rate among NC's 30,000+ student districts.
Lewiston Held Its Enrollment Steady While Auburn, Across the River, Lost Seven Straight Years
Lewiston's enrollment held within 3% of its 2017 level while twin-city Auburn, separated by a bridge, declined 9.1% over seven years. Immigration is pulling the two cities apart.
Jefferson Parish Hits Its Lowest Enrollment Ever
Louisiana's largest traditional district lost 2,053 students in one year, its steepest drop, as immigration enforcement reshapes a diversifying parish.
Idaho Closed Most of Its Absenteeism Gaps Since 2021. One Has Barely Moved.
Idaho narrowed its Black, Native American, and Hispanic absenteeism gaps since 2021. The gap for students with disabilities has held within 1.4 points the whole time.
Delaware Cut Chronic Absenteeism 8.6 Points Since 2022. The Gap by Income Hasn't Closed.
Delaware's chronic absenteeism rate fell from 25.7% in 2022 to 17.1% in 2025, but the 14.7-point gap for students who are economically disadvantaged has persisted.
One in 14 Alabama Students Is Now an English Learner
Alabama's English learner population has nearly quadrupled since 2015, from 13,793 to 51,068 students, reshaping classrooms from the poultry corridor to Birmingham.
Nearly One in Four Richmond Students Drops Out. At One School, It's Nearly Half.
Richmond City's 23.8% dropout rate is nearly five times the state average. George Wythe High had 48.4% of its cohort drop out in 2023.
Houston and Dallas: Texas's Two Largest Districts Both Graduate Under 85%
Houston ISD and Dallas ISD both posted 84% graduation rates for the Class of 2024, sitting more than 10 points below the state average of 94.4%.
Three in Four Districts Still Above 2021 Levels
Only 35 of 142 Tennessee districts have recovered to 2020-21 chronic absenteeism levels. The pandemic reset attendance norms for 75% of communities.
From 59% to 83%: Charter Institute at Erskine's Graduation Rate Transformation
The Charter Institute at Erskine improved its aggregate graduation rate from 58.9% to 82.8% in six years, the largest improvement of any entity in South Carolina.
Only 28% of Nebraska Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Chronic Absenteeism Levels
Nearly three in four Nebraska districts still have higher chronic absenteeism than before COVID -- and not a single large district has recovered.
One in Three Missouri Districts at Lowest Enrollment Ever
174 of Missouri's 554 school districts hit all-time low enrollment in 2026, spanning rural towns, inner-ring suburbs, and urban cores alike.
458 More Seniors Than Kindergartners
Hawaii's K-to-12th-grade ratio fell to 96.2 in 2025-26, the second straight year with more seniors than kindergartners, as birth rate decline and a 2014 age cutoff change lock in further enrollment losses.
Georgia Cyber Academy Has Not Had a Good Year in Seven
Georgia's largest virtual charter has seen chronic absenteeism rise every year since 2019, reaching 17.2% even as the state's rate fell.
Greenwich Virtually Eliminated Chronic Absenteeism — Then COVID Arrived
Greenwich School District cut its chronic absenteeism rate from 8% in 2013 to 0.1% in 2020, one of only 8 districts to hit an all-time low during the pandemic-shortened school year.
Alabama's Hidden Revolution: The Diploma Quality Gap Collapsed in a Decade
Alabama's gap between graduation rate and college/career readiness collapsed from 49 points to 4 over a decade, one of the most dramatic diploma quality improvements in any state.
Nevada's Native American Students Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 7 Points Since 2022, but the Gap With White Peers Has Doubled
Chronic absenteeism among Native American students in Nevada has fallen from 51.5% in 2021-22 to 44.8% in 2023-24, but the gap with white students has nearly doubled since 2018-19.
Grand Forks Cut Total Absences by 34-43%. Can the Model Scale?
After years of worsening attendance, Grand Forks implemented a new policy that produced the district's first improvement since pre-COVID, dropping chronic absence 4 points to 23%.
Helena HS Lost More Students Than Any Montana High School
Helena's high school district shed 451 students since 2018 while East Helena, five miles away, surged 54%. The capital city's suburban donut is reshaping school funding.
87 Mississippi Districts Hit Record-Low Enrollment
More than half of Mississippi's 152 school districts are at their lowest enrollment ever recorded, led by Jackson, Vicksburg, and Meridian.
Every Other Group Is Growing. White Enrollment Is Not.
Minnesota lost 130,507 white students since 2007 while every other racial group grew. White decline exceeds the state's entire net enrollment change.
Grade 12 Grew While Grade 1 Collapsed
Michigan's K-8 grades lost 229,625 students since 1996 while high school barely moved. The pipeline inversion is just reaching secondary.
White Students Hit 60% in Kansas Schools
Kansas public schools crossed a demographic threshold in 2025-26, with white students at exactly 60% of enrollment, down from 75.8% in 2005. Hispanic enrollment has doubled.
Colorado's K-2 Students Improved Attendance in 2024-25 While Every High School Grade Slipped Past 30%
Colorado's chronic absenteeism climbs from 23% in elementary to 41% in 12th grade. K-2 rates improved in 2024-25 while all four high school grades worsened.
California's Youngest Students Are Leading the Attendance Recovery. High School Is Where the Work Remains.
California elementary grades cut chronic absenteeism by 1 to 1.6 points last year. Grades 9-12 improved just 0.2 points and stayed near 24%.
Lincoln's Mentor Model: Every Student Has Someone Who Checks In
Lincoln School District pairs every student with a mentor and operates on a 4-day week. The data confirms it works: chronic absence is back to its pre-COVID level of 9.3%.
Every Year, Alaska Gains Seniors It Never Lost
Alaska's 12th grade class consistently outnumbers the prior year's 11th graders, driven by correspondence school re-entry and credit recovery.
Hispanic Chronic Absence in Illinois Has Improved From Its Pandemic Peak. The Gap With White Students Has Not.
Hispanic chronic absenteeism has fallen from 36.1% at its 2022 peak to 31.7%, but the gap with white students has held at about 14 points for four years.
In Providence, White Students Graduate at the Lowest Rate of the Four Largest Racial Groups
Providence's white students graduate at 75.2%, the lowest among the district's four largest racial groups, reversing the statewide pattern where white students lead at 88.5%.
Two in Five Wisconsin Districts Hit All-Time Low
174 of 446 Wisconsin school districts recorded their lowest enrollment ever in 2025-26, including nine of the state's 10 largest.
High School Attendance Isn't Recovering in Washington
Elementary schools have recovered nearly half their COVID attendance losses, but high school chronic absenteeism remains within 1.5 points of the pandemic peak.
Fairfax County Lost 8,371 Students While Its Population Grew
Virginia's largest school division lost 4.4% of its enrollment since 2020 even as its school-age population increased by 9,000. Where did the families go?
Pawtucket's High Schools: 1 in 2 Students Chronically Absent
Half of Pawtucket's high schoolers are chronically absent — the rate is still rising while the rest of Rhode Island improves. Tolman High hit 59%.
PA's Black-White Absence Gap Widened 3.7 Points Since COVID
The Black-white chronic absence gap in Pennsylvania grew from 8.2 to 11.9 percentage points. English learners are the only group that closed their gap.
Native American Graduation Rates Climbed 24 Points in Oregon, but Wide Gaps Remain Between Districts
Oregon's Native American graduation rate improved from 50% to 74% since 2010. Jefferson County graduates at 87%, Portland at 48%.
Grand Island Hits All-Time Low at 75.9% — District Says It's a One-Year Blip
Grand Island Public Schools posted a 75.9% graduation rate in 2025, its worst on record. The district says an ELL enrollment policy change created a one-time bubble, but the underlying trend was already declining.
Guilford County: From 74% to a Record 92%, Outpacing Every Large NC District
Guilford County Schools just posted a record 92.2% graduation rate, the highest of any large NC district. The state's third-largest system hasn't dipped below 89% since 2016.
Springfield's Six-Year Streak: From 87 Percent to a Record 99 Percent
Springfield R-XII improved its graduation rate every year since 2019, reaching 98.9 percent with a 2,017-student cohort. It now leads all large Missouri districts.
Kentucky's Foster Care Graduates Beat the National Odds
Foster care students in Kentucky graduate at 82.5%, far above the national norm of 50-65%, after a 15-point climb since 2021.
Des Moines Has Lost 5 Points Since 2019 — The State Capital's Graduation Slide
Des Moines Independent graduated 71% of students in 2024, down from 76% in 2019, while suburban Johnston and Waukee exceed 97% -- creating a 26-point gap within the same metro area.
The ELL Whiplash: Florida's English Learner Gap Closed During COVID — Then Reopened
Florida's English learner graduation gap narrowed to just 4 points during COVID assessment waivers, then blew back to 14.3 points when requirements returned. The V-shaped pattern raises hard questions about assessment policy.
Arizona Lost 505 Kindergarten Classrooms in Nine Years
K enrollment fell 15.9% since 2018, signaling years of continued decline as smaller cohorts advance through the system.
Casper's Enrollment Decline Has Accelerated for Three Straight Years
Natrona County School District #1 lost 443 students in 2025-26, capping three straight years of accelerating decline that has erased 25 years of growth.
One in 18 West Virginia Students Is Now Classified as Homeless
The number of West Virginia students who are currently homeless surged 69% since 2018, even as total enrollment fell 11%. Their attendance rate lags 2.3 points behind the state average.
Kingdom East Cut Its Chronic Absenteeism Rate by 28 Points in Two Years
Vermont's Northeast Kingdom district went from 50.6% to 22.5% chronic absenteeism, the largest turnaround in the state, with nearby St. Johnsbury showing a similar pattern.
IDEA Public Schools Is Now Bigger Than Austin ISD
A charter that started with 659 students is now Texas' 6th-largest district at 79,608. But its growth engine just stalled.
SC's Coastal Growth Engine Just Stalled
Berkeley, Horry, and Charleston all flipped from growth to decline in 2026, joining 14 other districts in a coordinated reversal.
16 Oregon Districts Beat Pre-COVID Attendance. None of the Largest Are Among Them.
16 of 178 Oregon school districts have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism levels. None of the state's 10 largest districts are among them.
Tulsa's Graduation Rate Fell 12 Points in Four Years. It Has Only Partly Recovered.
Tulsa Public Schools' graduation rate dropped from 78% to 66% between 2020 and 2024, and the partial rebound to 70.6% leaves it far below every large-district peer.
Career-Tech Enrollment Soars While Traditional Districts Shrink
Ohio's 49 Joint Vocational School Districts added 20,389 students in five years while traditional districts shed 78,000. The boom is straining capacity.
District 75 Grew 42% While NYC Shrank
NYC's citywide special education district added 8,794 students since 2005, even as the rest of the city lost 223,000. It is now the state's 11th-largest district entity.
The 15-Point Gap: Native American Students Graduate at 61% in New Mexico
Native American students in New Mexico graduated at 61% in 2017, 15 points below white peers. Three districts cleared 80%, showing the gap is not inevitable.
Three in Five New Jersey Students Experiencing Homelessness Make It to Class. The Gap to Their Peers Hasn't Closed.
Students who are currently homeless miss school at nearly triple the state average, and the gap has widened since the pandemic despite statewide improvements.
Bismarck-Mandan's 18-Year Growth Engine Stalls
Bismarck-Mandan added 4,328 students since 2008, but K enrollment has fallen 19% in four years and Bismarck just posted its first non-COVID decline.
Maine's Students From Migrant Farmworker Families Posted the State's Largest Attendance Gain
Students from Maine's migrant farmworker families cut chronic absenteeism by 21.9 points from 2022 to 2024, the largest gain of any subgroup.
42 Massachusetts Districts Beat Chronic Absenteeism Back to Pre-COVID. Voc-Tech Schools Led the Way.
42 of 393 Massachusetts districts have brought chronic absenteeism back to pre-COVID levels. Voc-tech schools recovered at nearly triple the statewide rate.
Morehouse Parish: From 64% to 89%, Louisiana's Most Dramatic Graduation Turnaround
Morehouse Parish climbed from a 64.3% graduation rate to 88.5% in 2025, the largest turnaround of any Louisiana parish over the period.
Indiana's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Is Running Out of Steam
Three years of improvement have closed less than half the gap opened by COVID, and each year's gains are shrinking.
When English Learners Out-Graduate Everyone: Indiana's Rate Hits 92.4%
Indiana's English learners now graduate at 92.4%, surpassing the overall state average of 91.8% after a 32-point climb from a 2017 trough.
Linapuni Elementary's Turnaround: From 92% Chronic Absenteeism to 28% in Three Years
Linapuni Elementary in Kalihi went from a 92% chronic absenteeism rate in 2022 to 28% in 2025, leading a neighborhood-wide attendance recovery in one of Honolulu's poorest communities.
76 Georgia Districts Hit All-Time Highs
In 2025, 76 Georgia districts recorded their best-ever graduation rates while zero hit all-time lows, an unprecedented concentration of success across the state.
Polk County's Attendance Crisis: From 19% to 39% Chronic Absenteeism in Six Years
Polk County's chronic absenteeism rate has more than doubled since 2018, with 50,277 of 128,510 students now missing 10% or more of school.
Delaware's Vo-Tech Districts Graduate 97%, Ten Points Above Traditional Schools
Delaware's three vo-tech districts have graduated above 95% for nine straight years, a 10-point edge that holds across student subgroups.
Newtown Has Lost Students Every Year for 15 Years
Newtown School District has declined every year since 2012, losing 1,583 students and nearly a third of its enrollment in Connecticut's longest active decline streak.
Foster Youth Graduation Gap Is California's Widest at 19 Points
Students in foster care graduate at 68.5% in California, 19 points below the state average — the widest equity gap among graduation subgroups.
Peoria, Amphitheater, and Washington Elementary Cut Chronic Absence by More Than 15 Points
Three large Arizona districts cut chronic absenteeism 17-20 points in three years, proving sustained recovery is possible in diverse, working-class communities.
Little Rock's Graduation Rate Climbed for a Third Year. Bryant Sets the Bar at 96 Percent.
Little Rock School District graduates 82.3% of students, up from 80.0% in 2022. Suburban Bryant, 20 minutes south, hits 96.2%.
Three in Five Native American Students in Wisconsin Are in Class. The Districts Working to Lift That Number.
Native American students in Wisconsin show a 38.9% chronic absence rate against a state average of 17.3%, with tribal nations leading culturally responsive responses.
Prescott's New Superintendent Helped Pull the District Back From Dissolution. Now He's Leading the Recovery.
Jeff Foertsch, a 25-year Prescott educator, takes the superintendency after helping the district avert dissolution. The recovery plan ahead.
Logan's Attendance Crisis Now Exceeds Its COVID Peak
Nearly half of Logan City District students are chronically absent, a rate that has more than tripled since 2017 and now surpasses the district's pandemic high.
Fort Mill's 8.5% Chronic Rate Shows What's Possible in South Carolina
Fort Mill School District maintains the lowest chronic absenteeism of any large SC district, with even its most disadvantaged students below the state average.
Franklin's 29-Point Climb: From 56% to 85% in Five Years
Franklin graduated 84.8% of its Class of 2025, up from a 56.3% trough in 2020, the largest sustained turnaround of any traditional district in New Hampshire.
The 24-Point Gap: Native American Students Graduate at 63% While White Peers Reach 88%
The white-Native American graduation gap widened back to 24 points, erasing all gains made between 2013 and 2018.
NC's Black-White Chronic Absence Gap Nearly Doubled After COVID
North Carolina's Black-White chronic absenteeism gap widened from 6.7 to 11.7 points after COVID, and every racial gap followed the same pattern.
One in Three Maine Districts at Record-Low Enrollment
Eighty-three of Maine's 214 districts hit all-time lows in 2026, including Portland, as three years of accelerating decline force budget cuts statewide.
Two-Thirds of Louisiana Parishes Are Now Majority-Minority
Forty-eight of 75 Louisiana parishes are now majority-minority, up from 42 in 2019. Six suburban and rural parishes crossed the 50% threshold.
Boise's One-in-Five Absenteeism Problem
Idaho's largest district has a 21% chronic absenteeism rate (three points higher than 2021) with a 69-point spread between its best and worst schools.
Delaware's Racial Attendance Gap Is Wider Than Before COVID
Black students in Delaware are chronically absent at 20.3%, down from a 31.3% peak but still 6.3 pp above white peers. The gap is 0.8 pp wider than 2019.
Alabama Is 32,000 Students Below Its Pre-COVID Trajectory
If pre-pandemic trends had held, Alabama would have 746,099 students. Instead it has 714,363, and the gap widens every year.
Hampton City Graduates 96% of Its Students. Most Larger Divisions Cannot Say the Same.
Hampton City graduated 96.4% of its 1,461-student cohort in 2023, outperforming wealthier suburban divisions like Stafford and Chesterfield.
Karnes City ISD: From 94% to 41% in Five Years, Texas's Most Dramatic Graduation Collapse
Karnes City ISD's graduation rate fell from 94.2% to 41.4% over five years -- the largest decline of any Texas district -- as the Eagle Ford Shale town faces population volatility.
One in Four High Schoolers Is Chronically Absent
Tennessee's high school chronic absenteeism rate is nearly 50% higher than K-8, and the gap has widened every year since 2023.
South Carolina's White-Black Graduation Gap Peaked During COVID. Now It's Narrowing.
Black students in SC reached an 83.5% graduation rate in 2025, gaining 5.4 points in four years and narrowing the white-Black gap from a COVID peak of 8.8 to 5.8 points.
The 38-Point Divide: Bennington at 7%, Omaha at 45% -- Separated by 15 Miles
Nine Omaha-area school districts, separated by minutes on the highway, produce chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 7% to 45% -- a 38-point chasm.
Normandy Lost More Than Half Its Students. The State Gave It Back.
Normandy Schools Collaborative fell from 5,585 to 2,589 students over 25 years, a 53.6% decline driven by accreditation loss and state takeover.
Kansas City Schools Lost 60% of Its Students. Then It Started Growing.
After losing 60% of its students, Kansas City Public Schools has posted three years of growth, fueled by immigrant families.
Frederick and Howard Are Maryland's Attendance Leaders. They Still Haven't Hit the State Target.
Maryland's two lowest-absence counties, at 16.8% and 17.3%, remain above the state's own 15% goal. Even the best is not good enough.
One in Three: Waterloo and Davenport's Persistent Absence Crisis
Despite statewide improvement, Waterloo (33.5%) and Davenport (33.2%) still have one in three students chronically absent, more than double the state average.
Maui's Post-Wildfire Decline Slows but Won't Stop
Maui County lost 281 students in 2025-26, a fraction of last year's 807-student plunge. The wildfire spike has passed but the decline continues.
Hawaii's Crash Era Deepens as Losses Nearly Quadruple
Hawaii lost 3,425 students in 2025-26 after losing just 901 two years earlier. Six years into a crash era, the state has shed 17,437 students.
Nearly Three in Four Georgia Students Are Economically Disadvantaged. Their Absence Rate Is Double.
The gap between economically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged chronic absence rates has widened 50% since the pandemic, with 316,000 students chronically absent.
Waterbury's 5.5-Point Spike: The Largest Single-Year Jump Among Connecticut's Urban Districts
Waterbury's chronic absenteeism proxy rate jumped 5.5 points to 21% in the COVID-shortened 2020 — the largest single-year spike among Alliance Districts.
Alabama's Foster Care Graduation Rate Is the Only One That Hasn't Recovered
Alabama's foster care graduation rate fell from 77% in 2019 to 62% in 2025, the only subgroup with a net decline while every other group improved.
Washoe County: Steady Improvement, 5 Points Below Clark
Washoe County's weighted chronic rate of 30.5% is 4.5 points below Clark County, with consistent school-mean improvement from 31.0% in 2021 to 27.5% in 2025.
Nebraska Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners
Grade 12 hit an all-time high of 26,008 in 2025-26 while kindergarten dropped to 21,275, near its early-2000s trough, widening a gap that signals a shrinking enrollment pipeline.
Native American Students in North Dakota Cut 5 Points From Their COVID Attendance Peak, More Than Any Other Group. The Gap Widened Anyway.
Four of five racial gaps in North Dakota chronic absenteeism are wider than 2019. But the recovery has been uneven across groups: Native American students recovered most from their pandemic peak, Pacific Islander students recovered not at all, and the Asian-white gap inverted.
Montana Now Serves 4,720 Students Who Are English Learners, Half Speaking Native American Languages
Enrollment of students who are English learners grew 51.6% in eight years even as Montana lost students overall, with nearly half speaking Native American languages.
Only 12 of 143 Districts Have Recovered from COVID
Mississippi lost 23,390 students in the pandemic year. Five years later, it has lost 18,035 more. Only 12 traditional districts recovered.
Minnesota's Largest School Has No Building
A virtual campus run by Pearson now enrolls more students than any brick-and-mortar school in Minnesota. Online enrollment has tripled since COVID.
Flint Lost 90% of Its Students. The Water Crisis Was Only One Chapter.
Flint Community Schools enrolled 24,934 students in 1997. In 2025, just 2,541 remain, an 89.8% collapse driven by deindustrialization, school choice, and the water crisis.
Kansas Lost 16,000 Students to COVID. Then It Lost 7,000 More.
Five years after COVID emptied Kansas classrooms, the state hasn't recovered a single student. Nearly two-thirds of districts are now below their pandemic-era trough.
Most Colorado Native American Students Are in Class. Douglas County Shows the Rate Can Be Much Higher.
More than half of Colorado's Native American students attended regularly in 2024-25, but the 45.3% chronic-absence rate worsened faster than any other group's. A handful of districts, led by Douglas County at 23%, point to what's working.
Foster Youth: The Only Student Group in California Where Chronic Absenteeism Is Getting Worse
At 37.3%, foster youth have the highest chronic absence rate of any student group and are the only one where the rate increased last year.
The Only District in Arkansas Where Attendance Has Improved Every Single Year
While 87% of Arkansas districts saw chronic absenteeism worsen in 2024, Hoxie cut its rate in half over five years — the only district to improve in every measured period.
Six Alaska Districts Have Fewer Than 100 Students
From Pelican's 16 students to the Pribilof Islands' 56, Alaska's smallest districts face existential questions about whether they can keep their doors open.
Central Falls' Graduation Rate Has Collapsed 22 Points Since 2015
After 33 years of state control, Central Falls' graduation rate peaked at 81.2% in 2015 and has fallen to 58.7% — with a dropout rate of 25.2%.
Wisconsin's English Learner Population Grew 43% While Schools Shrank
Wisconsin's English learner population grew 43% to 55,772 while total enrollment fell 8%, reshaping staffing and funding demands across 384 districts.
Quillayute Valley Keeps 96% of Its Students Who Are Homeless in Class. Statewide, Half Are Chronically Absent.
About 22,900 students who are currently homeless in Washington are chronically absent — 51.1% — but two rural districts post rates under 10%, suggesting what intensive support can do.
One in Five Virginia Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment crossed 20% for the first time in 2024-25, adding 59,229 students since 2017 while Black enrollment fell. The gap between the two groups shrank to 14,794.
One in Four Rhode Island Students Is Chronically Absent — Down from One in Three
Rhode Island's chronic absenteeism fell from 34.1% to 24.8%, but 33,061 students still miss 10%+ of school. Middle schools are recovering slowest.
Chester-Upland: Never Below 50% Chronic Absence
Chester-Upland SD in Delaware County has never recorded a chronic absence rate below 50% in seven years of data, the only multi-school district in PA with that distinction.
Oregon's Graduation Rate for Students with Disabilities Nearly Doubled: 41.8% to 72.2%
Oregon's graduation rate for students with disabilities climbed from 41.8% to 72.2% over 15 years, the largest subgroup gain. But did standards also change?
Nevada's Black-White Absenteeism Gap Has Narrowed From Its COVID Peak — But Remains 70% Wider Than 2019
Black students in Nevada have a chronic absenteeism rate of 37.8%, a 10.7-point gap above white students. The gap is narrowing from its 14.7-point pandemic peak but remains 70% wider than before COVID.
Lexington and Schuyler Graduate Nearly 9 in 10 Hispanic Students. Nebraska's Statewide Gap Has Still Grown.
Lexington and Schuyler graduate nearly 9 in 10 Hispanic students in Nebraska. The statewide white-Hispanic gap has still widened to 16.8 percentage points — but the meatpacking corridor shows it is not demographic destiny.
Three in Five Nebraska Districts Have Fewer Than 500 Students
151 of 244 Nebraska public school districts enroll under 500 students, holding just 12.3% of the state's children while large suburban districts absorb all growth.
A Majority of Students Who Are Currently Homeless in North Dakota Are Chronically Absent
Fifty-three percent of students who are currently homeless in North Dakota miss more than 10% of school days, up from 39% before the pandemic, with virtually no recovery from the COVID peak.
North Carolina's Foster Care Graduation Rate Sits 31 Points Below the State Average
Students in foster care in North Carolina graduated at 55.4% in 2024, more than 31 points below the state average. The gap has widened since 2018 even as overall graduation held steady.
Missouri Hits an All-Time High: 92.7 Percent of Students Graduate on Time
Missouri's four-year graduation rate reached 92.7 percent in 2025, the highest on record, with a growing cohort that produced nearly 4,000 more graduates than in 2019.
Louisville Gained 5 Points in 5 Years
JCPS climbed from 83.7% to 88.7% graduation rate since 2020, with Black students gaining nearly 9 points and briefly surpassing white students in 2024.
Iowa's Native American Graduation Rate Collapsed to 68% — The Widest Racial Gap in the State
Native American students in Iowa graduated at 68% in 2024, down from 79% in 2020, while the white-Native American gap widened to 23 points -- the largest racial gap in the state.
Forsyth County Held Good Attendance While Georgia Slipped 13 Points
Forsyth County held good attendance near the top as Georgia's statewide rate slipped 13 points since 2019. The 'middle missing' is the fastest-growing group.
Putnam County: From 63.6% to 91.2% — Florida's Most Dramatic Graduation Turnaround
Putnam County's graduation rate climbed 27.6 points in eight years, from 63.6% to 91.2%, with students with disabilities improving by 53.5 points. The rural North Florida district now exceeds the state average.
Colorado Now Has 17,500 More Seniors Than Kindergartners
Colorado's K-to-12th grade ratio collapsed from 105 to 77 in a decade, with 61% of districts now graduating more seniors than they enroll in kindergarten.
One Charter Holder Now Enrolls 17,732 Students
American Leadership Academy has doubled in size since 2018, growing faster than any large district in Arizona while enrolling a student body nearly twice as white as the state average.
Wyoming Now Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners for the Third Year Running
Wyoming enrolled 6,064 kindergartners in 2025-26 — 25 percent below the 2014 peak — while Grade 12 sits near an all-time high. The grade pipeline tells the next decade's story.
West Virginia's Attendance Recovery Is Running Out of Steam
Three years of post-COVID improvement are fading. The state recovered 70% of lost attendance but annual gains shrank from 0.58 to 0.40 points, leaving 39 of 55 counties below pre-pandemic levels.
Vermont's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Is Real, But Slower for Students Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch
Vermont's chronic absenteeism among students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch fell from a 2023 peak, but recovery has been slower than for their peers.
Utah's Black Graduation Rate Surges 10.8 Points in Eight Years, Closing Nearly Half the White-Black Gap
Black students in Utah improved their graduation rate from 73.1% to 83.9% since 2017, narrowing the White-Black gap from 15.2 to 8.2 percentage points.
Texas' Five Largest Urban Districts All Hit Record Lows
Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, and San Antonio ISDs are simultaneously at their lowest enrollment in 22 years of data.
South Carolina's English Learner Population Surged 39% in Seven Years
LEP enrollment surged 39% in seven years while total enrollment grew just 2.3%. Jasper County leads the state at 45%, and the growth spans coast to Upstate.
One in Three Oregon Students Is Chronically Absent
Oregon's chronic absenteeism rate stands at 33.5%, with 174,000 students missing 10% or more of the school year. At the current pace, recovery to pre-pandemic levels won't come until 2037.
Oklahoma Traditional Districts Hit 89% Graduation Rate as Virtual Charters Fall to 49%
Oklahoma traditional districts averaged a 89.4% graduation rate in 2025; the state's five virtual charter schools averaged 49.3%, a 40-point gap.
Ohio Lost 203,000 White Students. Every Other Group Grew.
White enrollment in Ohio public schools fell 15.4% since 2015, accounting for more than 100% of the state's total decline. Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and Black enrollment all increased.
Sachem Has Lost Students 14 Years Straight
Long Island's largest suburban districts are in sustained enrollment decline, with Sachem and Smithtown losing students every year since 2013.
Albuquerque's 2017 Graduation Rate Held at 67.9% While the State Reached 71.1%
Albuquerque Public Schools graduated 67.9% of students in 2017, up 2.8 points over eight years while the statewide rate moved 5 points to 71.1%.
Three in Four North Dakota Ninth Graders Now Earn a Diploma on Time, Down from Nearly Nine in Ten
North Dakota's effective high school completion rate has fallen to 75%, down from 86% a decade ago. Mandan is the only large district to improve.
In the Flathead Valley, High Schools Surge While Elementary Rolls Shrink
Whitefish High School added 175 students since 2018, a 36% surge, while every elementary district in the Flathead Valley lost enrollment over the same period.
Minneapolis Is Becoming Whiter as Black Families Leave
Black enrollment in Minneapolis Public Schools has fallen 47% since 2007, while white share rose from 28.5% to 36.4%. The shift is not gentrification adding students. It is Black and Asian families leaving faster.
Massachusetts Attendance Recovery Stalls Below 1 Point
After three years of improvement, Massachusetts chronic absenteeism recovery has nearly stopped. Annual gains shrank from 5.5 points to under 1, leaving 89% of districts above pre-COVID rates.
Louisiana's Special Education Graduation Gap Collapsed From 22 Points to 4, In Just Seven Years
Louisiana's special education graduation rate surged from 59% to 81% since 2018, nearly closing a gap that most states struggle to shrink below 30 points.
Indiana's Graduation Gap Has Nearly Closed: Students Who Are Economically Disadvantaged Now Graduate at 93%
The gap between students who are economically disadvantaged and their paid-meals peers narrowed from 11.5 to under 1 percentage point, but a broadened definition may be doing some of the work.
Indiana Enrolls 15,157 Fewer Kindergartners Than Seniors
Indiana's kindergarten class is now 18% smaller than its senior class, a gap that nearly tripled in three years, locking in a decade of decline.
Lahaina Schools After the Fire: King Kamehameha III Elementary's Quiet Recovery
King Kamehameha III Elementary, the Lahaina school destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires, has dropped its chronic rate from 67% to 24%, matching the state average, while other Lahaina schools lag behind.
Georgia's Income Graduation Gap Fell to 3.5 Points
Georgia's income graduation gap fell from 15.3 to 3.5 points since 2011. But 88 districts now classify 100% of seniors as disadvantaged.
Only 1 of 73 Florida Districts Has Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance Levels
Hendry County is the sole Florida district where chronic absenteeism is below pre-pandemic levels. The other 72 remain worse off, including every large urban system.
19 Points Apart in the Same City
Red Clay graduates 92% of students. Christina, sharing Wilmington, graduates 73%. The Redding Consortium voted to merge them into one district.
One in Five Connecticut Students Now Receives Special Education
Special education enrollment grew 40% over 15 years while total enrollment fell 12%, creating a structural mismatch that a $70M funding boost has not resolved.
Compton Unified Now Graduates 93.7% of Its Students, Six Points Above the California Average
Compton Unified rose from 83.5% to 93.7% graduation rate in seven years, now nearly six points above the California state average.
Nine Arizona Districts Have At Least Half Their Students Chronically Absent
In nine Arizona districts, at least half of all students are chronically absent. Rates reach 64.9% in reservation and rural communities.
Arkansas's White-Black Graduation Gap Narrowed to 5.5 Points. Black Students Drove Most of the Closing.
The white-Black graduation gap in Arkansas shrank from 7.7 to 5.5 points over nine years, driven by Black students gaining 3.6 points.
Racine's Recovery Has Stalled at 36.5%
Racine Unified's chronic absenteeism rate held flat at 36.5% in 2025, unchanged from the prior year, as the state's fifth-largest district faces compounding enrollment loss and attendance challenges.
Ogden's Attendance Crisis Reversed After Three Years of Progress
Ogden City District's chronic absenteeism rate rose to 40% in 2025, erasing gains and leaving the district 13 points above its pre-COVID baseline.
Three in Four Black Students in Tennessee Are in Class. Nashville's Playbook for the Rest.
Three in four Black students in Tennessee attend school regularly. Nashville cut its Black chronic absence rate 7.8 points in three years — the steepest sustained recovery of any large district in the state.
South Dakota Is 10,138 Students Below Where It Should Be
If the state's pre-COVID enrollment trend had continued, nearly 149,000 students would be in public schools. Instead there are 138,861.
Attendance for SC Students in Foster Care Is Getting Worse, Not Better
Students in foster care in SC have a 42.4% chronic absenteeism rate, up 13.4 points in four years, even as the foster care population dropped by nearly half.
South Jersey's Attendance Gap With the North Has Nearly Doubled Since the Pandemic
South Jersey districts average 15.6% chronic absenteeism vs 11.1% in the north, a 4.5 pp gap that was only 2.4 pp pre-COVID.
Concord's Graduation Crisis: Capital City Drops to 73%, Below Manchester for First Time
New Hampshire's capital graduated just 73% of its Class of 2025 — an all-time low, and for the first time, below Manchester.
Fargo and West Fargo Both Hit All-Time Low Graduation Rates as the Metro Booms
Fargo dropped to 80% and West Fargo to 79.9% in 2024, both all-time lows, despite being the state's fastest-growing metro area.
Michigan's 2025 Enrollment Lands Almost Exactly Where the Pre-COVID Trend Predicted
Michigan's 2025 enrollment is within 4,300 students of the trajectory projected before the pandemic. The COVID-era 45,858-student drop sits inside a longer structural decline, not outside it.
One in 20 Maine Students Is Now an English Learner
Maine's English learner population surged 54% in nine years even as total enrollment fell, driven by refugee resettlement and asylum seekers in Portland and Lewiston.
Seven in Ten Louisiana Students Are Economically Disadvantaged
Louisiana classifies 70.1% of its public school students as economically disadvantaged, but the number measures the state's meal program accounting as much as its poverty.
Where 86% of Students Are Hispanic: Inside Kansas's Meatpacking Corridor
Three southwest Kansas districts built around beef plants have become among the most Hispanic school systems in the nation, reshaping how the state funds and staffs its schools.
Foster Care Is the Only Group Where Chronic Absenteeism Is Still Rising in Idaho
While every other student subgroup in Idaho improved or held steady, students in foster care saw chronic absenteeism rise from 24.2% to 27.1%, the only group moving in the wrong direction.
Dover's Capital District: 1 in 4 Students Still Missing School
Capital School District has the highest chronic absenteeism rate of any traditional district in Delaware at 26.1%, nearly double the state average.
Only 19 of 93 Colorado Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Absence Levels
Five years after the pandemic, fewer than one in five measurable Colorado districts have chronic absenteeism rates at or below their 2019-20 levels, with most large districts still well above baseline.
Eleven Rural Alabama Districts Have Lost 40% of Their Students Since 2015
Eleven rural Alabama districts have lost 40% of their enrollment since 2015. Perry County alone is down 57.7%, and the funding formula makes the spiral worse.
Only 28% of Wisconsin Districts Have Recovered from COVID
Wisconsin lost 28,898 students during COVID and another 24,054 since. None of the state's 10 largest districts have regained pre-pandemic enrollment.
In One Virginia Division, 79% Earn an Advanced Diploma. In Another, 17%.
Virginia's Advanced Studies diploma share ranges from 79% in Goochland County to 17% in Giles County, a gap that maps onto wealth and geography.
Three in Four Virginia Divisions Never Recovered from COVID
Five years after the pandemic, 96 of 131 Virginia school divisions remain below pre-COVID enrollment. The five largest losers account for 45% of the gap.
The Invisible Students: Texas Reports No Graduation Data for Black and Native American Students
Texas tracks graduation rates for 13 student subgroups. For Black and Native American students, the structured files are blank across five years.
Greenville County Schools Crosses 90% Graduation Rate for the First Time
Greenville County Schools posted a 90.6% graduation rate in 2025, the first time the state's largest district has crossed 90%, with broad gains across every subgroup.
Nearly Half of Omaha Public Schools Students Are Chronically Absent
Omaha Public Schools' chronic absenteeism rate has plateaued near 45%, with nearly one in five OPS high schoolers missing more than a quarter of the school year.
The St. Louis Enrollment Donut: Inner Ring Empties, Outer Ring Fills
Six of nine inner-ring St. Louis suburbs hit all-time enrollment lows while outer-ring districts surged, a textbook enrollment donut reshaping the metro.
Hawaii Charters Cross 8% for the First Time
Charter schools now enroll 8.2% of Hawaii's public school students, but the 2026 gain of just 277 students signals a sector hitting structural limits.
Jenkins County's 45% Absence Rate Is a Virtual School Story
A statewide online school run by ACCEL Schools nearly doubled Jenkins County enrollment and pushed its chronic absenteeism from 25% to 45%.
The Poverty-Attendance Divide: Connecticut's Free Lunch Students Miss School at More Than Twice the Rate
Students eligible for free lunch averaged an 18% chronic absence rate compared to 7.9% for non-eligible peers in 2020 — a 10.1-point gap that narrowed only because wealthier students got worse.
The District That Never Stopped Growing
Weld RE-4 in Windsor has grown every year for 11 straight years, the only Colorado district with an unbroken streak, adding 3,781 students as the state shrank.
From 28% to 5%: Delano Union Elementary Is California's Attendance Model
A 6,400-student Kern County district achieved a 5.3% chronic absenteeism rate -- well below the state average and its own pre-COVID baseline.
West Memphis: From 22% Chronic Absence to 5% in a Delta District
West Memphis cut chronic absenteeism from 22% to 5% in five years, while Arkansas's statewide rate climbed to a record 27.7%.
Birmingham Has Been Stuck at 81% for a Decade
Birmingham City's graduation rate has barely moved in a decade (79.4% in 2015, 81.0% in 2025) while the state improved by nearly 5 points around it.
Texas Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners for the First Time
12th grade enrollment now exceeds kindergarten by 44,132 students in Texas, a complete inversion of the pipeline that held for decades.
Shaw Air Force Base Can't Save Sumter's Schools
Sumter has lost 3,610 students since 2015, a 21.3% decline, despite hosting one of the Southeast's largest military installations. The base's $2 billion impact isn't enough.
Ohio Lost 19,611 Students in 2025, the Biggest Non-COVID Drop
Ohio enrollment fell by 19,611 students in 2025-26, the largest non-COVID decline on record, and 391 districts now sit at all-time lows.
Pre-K Grew 26% While Kindergarten Hit a 22-Year Low
New York added 12,800 Pre-K students since 2012, driven by NYC's universal program. Kindergarten lost 35,550 over the same span, falling to its lowest level on record.
Only 1 of 17 Nevada Districts Has Recovered from the COVID Absenteeism Surge
Six years after the pandemic, Eureka County is the only Nevada district where chronic absenteeism has returned to pre-COVID levels. Sixteen districts remain 3 to 27 points above.
Camden's Absenteeism Reversal
Nearly half of Camden students are chronically absent after a post-pandemic recovery stalled and reversed in 2024, widening the gap with New Jersey's statewide rate.
Three Omaha Suburbs Have Grown Every Year for 21 Years
Bennington, Gretna, and Elkhorn are the only Nebraska districts to post enrollment gains in all 21 year-over-year transitions since 2005.
West Fargo Has Grown Every Year for 18 Years
West Fargo's enrollment rose 113.8% since 2008, making it North Dakota's second-largest school district.
Dickinson's Chronic Absenteeism Surged From 10% to 26% as Oil Country Attendance Collapses
Bakken oil region districts saw chronic absence rates double or triple since 2018, far outpacing the state's 8-point increase, as boom-bust volatility destabilizes school attendance.
Colstrip Lost One in Five Students as Its Power Plant Shrank
Colstrip's combined school enrollment fell 19.8% since 2018, tracking the closure of two coal-fired generating units and the uncertain future of two more.
Mississippi's Charter Sector Hits 1%, but 15% of Jackson
Mississippi's 10 charter schools enroll just 1% of students statewide. In Jackson, six charters now claim 15% of the combined enrollment pool.
The Suburban Donut: Minnetonka Surpasses Robbinsdale
Outer-ring Twin Cities suburbs gained 12,559 students since 2007 while inner-ring districts lost 7,248, reshaping the metro's enrollment geography.
One in Four Michigan Districts Hit Record-Low Enrollment
231 of Michigan's 878 districts are at their lowest enrollment on record in 2024-25, a number that tripled in a single year and spans every size category.
Only 86 Kindergartners for Every 100 Seniors
Massachusetts kindergarten enrollment has fallen below grade 12 for 12 straight years, a pipeline inversion that guarantees smaller schools for a generation.
One in Seven Kansas Students Now Receives Special Education
Kansas special education enrollment has grown 39% since 2005, crossing the 1-in-7 threshold even as total enrollment stagnates. The post-COVID acceleration is reshaping district budgets statewide.
Seymour Went From 72% White to 46% in a Decade
Hispanic students now outnumber white students in Seymour Community Schools, the fastest demographic shift of any Indiana district over the past 10 years.
How Garfield Re-2 Cut Chronic Absenteeism From 55% to 18%
A Western Slope district of 4,641 students posted one of Colorado's most dramatic attendance turnarounds, dropping from the state's worst large-district rate to well below average in four years.
Only 7.4% of California's Large Districts Have Recovered Pre-Pandemic Attendance
Of 607 large school districts, just 45 have returned to their pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates. The median district remains 6.8 points above baseline.
19 Arkansas Districts Defied Two Years of Rising Absence
Only 19 of 240 Arkansas districts improved chronic absenteeism in two consecutive years. They span every geography and every size. Here's what they share.
Less Than Half of Rhode Island's Foster Youth Graduate High School
Rhode Island's foster youth graduated at just 42.7% in 2024, a new low and an 8.7-point drop from the prior year. A 17-member legislative commission is studying the problem.
Seattle's 20-Point Attendance Divide: White Students at 17%, Black Students at 35%
Seattle has a below-average overall chronic rate of 23.4% but a 17.8-point gap between white and Black students — a disparity that widened after the pandemic.
Harrisburg Now Enrolls More Students Than Aberdeen or Watertown
Three ring districts south of Sioux Falls added 8,194 students since 2007, doubling their state enrollment share while the core plateaus.
Middletown's 23-Point Drop: The Quiet Turnaround Nobody's Talking About
Middletown cut chronic absenteeism from 42.7% to 19.9% in three years — the largest improvement among mid-size RI districts, without state intervention.
PA Cyber Charters: Absence Rising While Traditional Schools Improve
Pennsylvania's cyber charter schools saw chronic absence rise to 30% even as traditional schools improved to 20%. New state reforms add oversight.
Oregon's Gender Gap in Graduation Has Halved Since 2010
Oregon's female-male graduation gap narrowed from 8.5 to 3.6 points since 2010, driven by male gains. Oregon also reports non-binary graduation data.
Omaha Public Schools Can't Break 72% — and the Gap to the State Is Growing
Omaha Public Schools graduated 71.5% of its 2025 cohort — a 16.4-point gap to the state average, the widest on record. Inside the district, 1,085 students didn't finish on time.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg: How North Carolina's Largest District Fell Behind
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools once led its peers in graduation rate. Eight years later, CMS trails Wake by 7 points and Guilford by nearly 8, with the state's largest cohort of non-graduates.
Kansas City's 19-Point Graduation Miracle: From Crisis to Nearly 90 Percent
Kansas City 33's graduation rate climbed from 69.4 percent in 2019 to 88.2 percent in 2025, a turnaround driven by even larger gains among Black students.
Baton Rouge Loses 1,703 Students in One Year
East Baton Rouge Parish enrollment fell 4.3% in 2026, seven times the prior year's rate, as school closures, charter exits, and outmigration collide in Louisiana's capital.
Kentucky's White-Black Graduation Gap: 3.9 Points
Black students in Kentucky graduate at 91.1%, cutting the gap with white students from 9.5 points to 3.9 since 2020. Both groups are above 90%.
Storm Lake Graduates 54% of Students — Iowa's Lowest Rate Outside Special Programs
Storm Lake's 54% graduation rate is the lowest among Iowa's traditional school districts, reflecting the structural challenges facing a meatpacking town where most students are learning English.
Florida's Special Education Gap Collapsed: From 19 Points to 3 in Eight Years
Florida students with disabilities graduated at 86.8% in 2024, closing a 19-point gap with the overall rate to just 2.9 points. The improvement is among the most dramatic special education gains in any state.
Arizona Lost 76,000 White Students in Eight Years
White enrollment in Arizona public schools fell 18% since 2018, nearly double the overall decline, as vouchers and demographics reshape classrooms.
Cheyenne's 8-School Closure Plan: The Largest District Hits the Wall
Laramie County School District #1, Wyoming's largest, has lost 1,402 students since 2020 and plans to close 8 elementary schools through 2035. Parents have sued to stop it.
Two Vermont Districts Where Most Students Are Chronically Absent
Rutland City at 56.7% and Winooski at 52.5% are Vermont's only districts where a majority of students miss 10% or more of school days.
Oklahoma's Graduation Rate Is Climbing Back. It Still Hasn't Reached Where It Was in 2019.
Oklahoma's 4-year graduation rate hit 82.2% in 2025 after a 3-year recovery, but remains below the 2019 peak and nearly 5 points below the national average.
The Gender Chasm: New Mexico Boys Graduate at 67%, Girls at 75%
New Mexico's gender graduation gap of nearly 8 points exceeds the national average by 3 points. Male students graduate at lower rates than economically disadvantaged students.
The White-Black Graduation Gap Narrowed to Its Smallest Point, 6.7 Percentage Points
Louisiana's white-Black graduation gap fell to 6.7 points in 2025, its narrowest on record, as Black students gained 4.8 points and outpaced white improvement.
From 71% to 93%: How Indianapolis Public Schools Defied Every Prediction
Indianapolis Public Schools posted a 93% graduation rate in 2025, surpassing the state average for the first time after a two-decade transformation.
Every Equity Gap in Hawaii's Attendance Data Widened After COVID, and None Have Closed
Every racial and socioeconomic gap in Hawaii's chronic absenteeism data is wider in 2025 than it was before COVID, and not a single one has returned to its pre-pandemic level.
Atlanta Crosses 90% for the First Time
Atlanta Public Schools posted a 90.5% graduation rate in 2025, up from 52% in 2011. The district that was rocked by a cheating scandal now outpaces the state.
Gadsden County's Chronic Absenteeism Nearly Quadrupled in Six Years
Chronic absenteeism in Gadsden County surged from 15.3% to 56.0% between 2018 and 2024, the most dramatic deterioration of any Florida district.
Delaware's Hispanic Graduation Gap Nearly Doubled in Three Years
The white-Hispanic graduation gap shrank to 5 points by 2019. By 2022 it had ballooned to 9.6 points. Sussex County districts show gaps exceeding 20 points.
California's White-Black Graduation Gap Cut by More Than Half in Seven Years
California's white-Black graduation gap shrank from 15.6 to 6.4 percentage points as Black students posted the largest gains of any racial group.
Arizona's Poverty Attendance Gap: Economically Disadvantaged Students Are 6 Points Above Average
Economically disadvantaged students in Arizona face a 29.8% chronic absenteeism rate, 6.1 points above average and 10.4 points above pre-COVID levels.
Arkansas Is Graduating 89 Percent of Its Students. That Puts It Above the National Average.
Arkansas graduates 89% of students, 2 points above the national average, with gains across every racial subgroup since 2016.
Four Out of Five Wisconsin Districts Haven't Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance
Only 83 of 421 Wisconsin school districts have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism rates, while 338 remain stuck with elevated absence three years after the 2022 peak.
Nearly One in Three Utah Kindergartners Is Chronically Absent
Kindergarten has the highest chronic absenteeism rate of any grade in Utah at 30%, six points above the state average, raising questions about the state's half-day funding model.
South Carolina's Poverty Attendance Gap: 16 Points and Not Closing
Economically disadvantaged students are chronically absent at 28.5% vs 12.1% for their peers, a 16-point gap that has not budged in four years of data.
One in Five New Jersey Seniors Is Chronically Absent
Twelfth-grade chronic absenteeism averages 20.3% across NJ schools, 8.3 points higher than 3rd grade, but seniors have recovered faster from COVID than any other grade.
Dover's Decade: How One City Climbed to an All-Time High of 91.5%
Dover graduated 91.5% of its Class of 2025 — an all-time high and the only large district to set a record in a year when 21 districts hit bottom.
North Dakota's Graduation Rate Has Fallen for Four Straight Years to Its Lowest Point in Over a Decade
North Dakota's 4-year graduation rate dropped to 82.4% in 2024, its lowest in 12 years, even as cohort sizes grew 15%.
Two Pre-K Students for Every Three Kindergartners
Maine's pre-K enrollment surged 30% while kindergarten fell 14.8%, the steepest grade-level decline in the state. The divergence reveals a policy success colliding with a demographic wall.
Coeur d'Alene's Absenteeism Rose 7.4 Points While the State Improved
Coeur d'Alene's chronic absenteeism rate jumped from 13.3% to 20.7% over four years, crossing above the state average as Idaho's overall rate fell.
One in Four Colonial Students Misses Too Much School
Colonial's 24.9% chronic absenteeism rate leads NCC peers, sitting 7.7 points above Delaware's average despite a 12.9-point drop from its 2022 peak.
Nine in Ten Virginia Students Graduate on Time. The Pandemic Bump Is Wearing Off.
Virginia still graduates more than 91% of its students, but the 93% pandemic-era peak in 2021 has eroded, with 78 of 130 divisions sliding back.
The 94.4% Ceiling: Texas's Graduation Rate Returns to Pre-COVID Peak, but 26 Districts Are Below 70%
Texas's 4-year graduation rate hit 94.4% for the Class of 2024, matching its pre-COVID peak. But 26 districts still graduate fewer than 70% of their students.
80,000 Low-Income Students Are Missing School
Nearly 30% of Tennessee's economically disadvantaged students are chronically absent, and the poverty gap in attendance is wider now than before the pandemic spike.
South Carolina Hits All-Time High 86.7% Graduation Rate. Youth in Foster Care Graduate at Less Than Half That
South Carolina's graduation rate reached an all-time high of 86.7% in 2025, but youth in foster care graduate at just 44.8%, a 41.9 percentage-point gap.
Nebraska City: From 2.9% to 37% -- the Most Dramatic Chronic Absenteeism Spike in the State
Nebraska City had a chronic absenteeism rate of 2.9% before COVID. Six years later, it's 37.1% -- a 34-point increase that dwarfs every other district in the state.
The 31.9-Point Gap: Maryland's Attendance Divide Spans 60 Miles
From Frederick's 16.8% to Baltimore City's 48.7%, chronic absenteeism tracks poverty and geography more than any policy variable.
Fairfield Still Beats the State Average on Attendance -- but Its Rate Has Gotten Worse Every Year for Seven Straight
Fairfield School District's chronic absence rate remains well below Connecticut's average, but it increased every year from 2014 to 2020 -- the longest worsening streak in the state.
Alabama Recovered to Its Second-Highest Graduation Rate Ever After the 2023 Dip
Alabama's graduation rate hit 91.56% in 2025 (second-highest ever) after a 2.5-point dip in 2023 when COVID-era supports expired.
Rhode Island's Graduation Rate Has Been Stuck at 84% for Seven Years
After climbing 8 points from 2010 to 2017, Rhode Island's 4-year graduation rate has flatlined between 83.4% and 84.1% — unable to crack 85% while the national average sits at 87%.
One in Seven Wisconsin Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment nearly doubled to 116,817 over 19 years, from 6.7% to 14.5% of students while total enrollment fell. Dairy towns anchor the shift.
297,000 Washington Students Are Missing Too Much School
In raw numbers, 296,544 Washington students were chronically absent in 2024-25 — 128,000 more than before the pandemic. The cumulative toll since COVID: 1.48 million student-years.
Norfolk Has Lost Students Every Year for 22 Years
Norfolk Public Schools has declined every single year since 2003, losing 9,913 students. Now the Navy city is closing nine schools to match a student body that may never come back.
Middle School Is Stuck: 7.3 Points Above Pre-COVID, Slowest Recovery of Any Grade Band
Rhode Island's middle school chronic absenteeism has recovered only 53% from peak — the slowest of any grade level, with 1 in 4 students chronically absent.
Only 12% of PA Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance
Of 733 Pennsylvania school districts, just 92 have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absence levels. 147 schools still have majority-absent student bodies.
Hillsboro Breaks 90% for the First Time as Portland's Suburbs Pull Away
Hillsboro SD crossed 90% graduation for the first time with 1,651 students, while Portland suburbs graduate 8 to 15 points above the city.
Nebraska Peaked at 90% in 2014 — Eleven Years Later, It Still Can't Get Back
Nebraska hit a 90% graduation rate in 2014 and has not returned. The rate looks stable at 88%, but a growing cohort means 760 more students per year don't finish on time.
North Carolina's 19-Year Graduation Miracle: 68% to 87%, Then a Wall
North Carolina's graduation rate climbed nearly 19 points in 11 years, one of the nation's most dramatic improvements. Then it stopped. The state hasn't gained a single point in seven years.
Kentucky Graduates 93.6% of Students
Kentucky's 4-year graduation rate hit 93.6% in 2025, nearly 7 points above the national average, with Black students driving the largest gains.
Iowa's Graduation Rate Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels -- But Not for Everyone
Iowa's 88.3% graduation rate for the Class of 2024 exactly matches its pre-pandemic level, but the recovery masks a K-shaped split where Native American, Asian, and English learner students fell further behind.
Florida's Graduation Rate Hits Record 89.7% — But the Real Story Is What Happened After COVID Knocked It Down
Florida's graduation rate reached a record 89.7% in 2024, eclipsing the pre-COVID high after a sharp post-waiver correction in 2022. The largest cohort in state history produced nearly 195,000 graduates.
One in 18 Colorado Students Now Identifies as Multiracial
Multiracial enrollment surged 41% in a decade, adding 14,096 students even as Colorado's schools shrank. The category now outnumbers Black students statewide.
Four Districts Lost 14,882 Students in Eight Years
Phoenix's inner-ring elementary districts have shed 30% of their students since 2018, driving school closures and a fiscal crisis across west Phoenix.
One-Third of Wyoming Districts Hit All-Time Lows in 2026
Seventeen of Wyoming's 51 districts — 33 percent — are at their lowest enrollment in the 26-year data record, and the two largest are within striking distance.
Champlain Valley Cut Its Chronic Absenteeism Rate in Half — to Under 10%
Vermont's largest district dropped chronic absenteeism from 21.3% to 9.9% in two years, using student engagement surveys to guide its approach.
Nearly Half of Texas's Largest Districts Are at All-Time Lows
Of 1,202 Texas districts, 206 are at record-low enrollment while 320 are at record highs. The split runs along a predictable line.
Black Enrollment Fell 15% in South Carolina
South Carolina lost 41,256 Black students since 2015, outpacing white decline and reshaping the state's school demographics as Hispanic enrollment nearly doubled.
Ohio's community schools grew 16% since COVID. Traditional districts never recovered.
43% of Ohio's community schools now enroll more students than before COVID. Only 16% of traditional districts can say the same.
19 Districts Haven't Grown in 14 Years
Nineteen New York districts have declined every year since 2013, losing a combined 43,362 students across Long Island, NYC, and upstate.
New Mexico's 71% Graduation Rate Leaves It 16 Points Behind the Nation
New Mexico's graduation rate climbed from 66% to 71% over eight years but remains nearly 16 points below the national average, with progress stalling mid-decade.
Three Groups, One Number: The 21% Ceiling
Black, economically disadvantaged, and disabled students all hit 21% chronic absenteeism in NJ, converging from different peaks.
North Dakota's 24-Point Native American Graduation Gap
Native American grad rates fell to 63.4% in 2024, erasing six years of gains. The gap with white students widened to 24.1 points.
One in Four Massachusetts Districts at All-Time Enrollment Lows
One in four traditional districts recorded their lowest enrollment in 33 years of state data, with Western MA and Cape Cod hit hardest.
Louisiana Hit an All-Time High 85% Graduation Rate, Climbing Nearly 5 Points Since 2019
Louisiana's graduation rate reached 85% in 2025, its highest on record, with gains across every major racial subgroup and the largest single-year jump in the dataset.
Lake County Has Lost Students Every Year for a Decade
Indiana's second-largest county shed 8,789 public school students since 2016, a decline driven almost entirely by the collapse of its northern industrial cities.
Indiana Breaks 90% for the First Time, Then Does It Again
Indiana's graduation rate hit 91.8% in 2025 — an all-time high and the second consecutive year above 90% — capping a 5.2 percentage point surge from a decade low.
Elementary Schools Recovered Fastest from COVID Attendance Loss. High Schools Are Stuck.
Hawaii elementary schools have recovered 65.5% of their COVID chronic absenteeism spike, while high schools have recovered just 46.3%, and the gap between school levels is widening.
Georgia's Graduation Gap Fell from 15.7 to 2.8 Points
In 2011, white students graduated at 75.5% and Black students at 59.8%. By 2025, the gap had narrowed to 2.8 percentage points, one of the smallest in the nation.
Nearly One Million Florida Students Are Chronically Absent
976,305 Florida students missed 10% or more of school in 2023-24, up 55% from pre-COVID levels. The cumulative toll since the pandemic: 1.1 million excess student-years.
Christina Graduates 73%. The State Wants to Redraw the Map.
Christina School District's 73.2% graduation rate is Delaware's lowest by a full percentage point, and the gap to the state runs deeper than the headline.
Four in Five CT Districts Never Recovered from COVID
Only 38 of 186 Connecticut districts have returned to pre-pandemic enrollment. The state is 32,852 students below 2019 levels, with the largest districts hit hardest.
California Hits All-Time High 87.8% Graduation Rate — Still Hasn't Cracked 90%
California's statewide graduation rate reached an all-time high of 87.8% in 2025, with 69% of districts improving, but the state still hasn't crossed 90%.
Tucson Unified's Chronic Absenteeism Spiked Nearly 10 Points in One Year, Reversing Two Years of Progress
Tucson Unified's chronic absenteeism spiked from 33.8% to 43.6% in one year, erasing two years of post-COVID recovery gains.
The Black-White Attendance Gap Widened 5.5 Points Since the Pandemic
Black students in Wisconsin face a 46.3% chronic absence rate compared to 10.8% for white students, a 35.5-point gap that has widened since before COVID.
Eighteen Utah Districts Have More Students Absent Than Present. Seventeen Are Charters.
In 18 Utah districts, more than half of students are chronically absent. All but one are charter schools, with rates reaching 82.8%.
A High School That Didn't Exist Built Pine Ridge's 49% Enrollment Surge
Oglala Lakota County School District grew 49.4% since 2007, the 10th-fastest rate in South Dakota. Most of that growth came from opening Lakota Tech, the first CTE high school on any reservation.
The Corridor of Shame's Attendance Crisis: 30-40% Chronic Absenteeism in Rural I-95 Districts
South Carolina's poorest rural districts along I-95 have chronic absenteeism rates nearly double the state average, deepening decades of educational inequality.
New Jersey's Charter Schools Have Higher Chronic Absence Rates, but the Averages Hide a Deeper Story
NJ charter districts average 16.7% chronic absenteeism vs. 12.8% for traditional districts, but half of all charters beat the state average.
The Shrinking Pipeline: NH Graduating Cohort Has Declined Every Year for a Decade
NH's graduating cohort has shrunk every year since 2015, from 14,780 to 12,980 — a 12% decline producing 1,662 fewer graduates annually.
Only 6 of 201 NC Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance
Just 3% of North Carolina districts with 500+ students have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism levels. Every large district remains far above its baseline.
78% of Maine Districts Never Recovered From COVID
Five years after the pandemic, only 47 of 214 Maine districts have regained pre-COVID enrollment. The state is 11,436 students below its projected trajectory.
Louisiana Lost 15,424 Students in One Year
The 2025-26 school year brought Louisiana's largest non-COVID enrollment loss, with 67 of 75 parishes declining and six losing more than 500 students each.
16 Idaho Schools Have More Students Chronically Absent Than Not
Sixteen Idaho schools have chronic absenteeism rates above 50%, including Malad Elementary at 78%, the highest rate for a non-alternative school in the state.
1 in 2: Delaware's Students Who Are Homeless and the Attendance Crisis
Nearly 45% of Delaware's 3,946 students who are currently homeless were chronically absent in 2024-25, 2.6 times the statewide rate. The gap is closing but 1,772 students still miss too much school.
Nine Alabama Districts Haven't Grown in Over a Decade
Nine districts have declined every single year since 2015, losing up to 58% of their students. Seven sit in the Black Belt.
Tennessee's Billion-Dollar Turnaround Closes at 53.7% Absent
The Achievement School District ends after a decade with the state's worst chronic absenteeism rate, 85% enrollment loss, and research showing no long-term gains.
South Carolina Produces Record 54,980 Graduates as Rate Hits All-Time High
SC produced 54,980 graduates in the class of 2025 (a record) as the graduation rate reached an all-time high of 86.7% from a record cohort of 63,440.
Lincoln Public Schools' Chronic Absenteeism Has Risen Every Year Since 2020
Lincoln Public Schools is the only major Nebraska district where chronic absenteeism has worsened every year since 2020 -- bucking the statewide recovery trend.
Missouri Lost 20,068 Students in a Single Year
While other states saw enrollment crater during COVID, Missouri held steady. Then 2022 hit, and nearly three-quarters of its districts lost students at once.
Honolulu Is 1,341 Students from Crossing Below 100,000
Honolulu County has lost 20,854 students since 2014. At the current pace, Oahu will drop below 100,000 students by next year.
Gwinnett County Doubled Its Chronic Absence Rate
Georgia's largest district went from 9.4% to 18.4% chronically absent since the pandemic, adding 18,000 students to the missing rolls despite $19M in new mental health funding.
The 27.8-Point Gap: Hartford and Greenwich's Separate Attendance Realities
Hartford's 27.9% chronic absenteeism rate vs Greenwich's 0.1% in 2020 captures Connecticut's education inequality in a single statistic — a gap that widened for years before COVID.
Nine Records at Once: Alabama's Class of 2025 Set Highs Across Race, Poverty, and Disability
Nine of Alabama's 16 student subgroups hit all-time graduation rate highs in 2025, spanning race, gender, poverty, disability, and housing status.
Nevada's Attendance Recovery Just Hit a Wall
After two years of improvement, chronic absenteeism reversed in 2025. Thirteen of 17 districts worsened, erasing nearly half a year of progress.
North Platte Has Lost 636 Students in a Decade
North Platte Public Schools has the longest decline streak among Nebraska's mid-size districts, losing 14.8% of enrollment since 2016 even as the state grew.
Fargo's Chronic Absenteeism Doubled. And the Problem Is Concentrated in Its Poorest Schools
North Dakota's largest district went from 13% to 26% chronic absence, with school-level rates ranging from 5% to 37% and Native American students at 53%.
Livingston Lost 28% of Its Students. The Town Has Never Been More Popular.
Livingston Elem enrollment fell from 1,000 to 716 since 2018, the third-fastest decline among Montana districts with 200+ students, even as Park County's tourism economy booms.
White Students Fall Below 41% in Mississippi
White enrollment hit a record-low 40.5% of Mississippi public school students in 2026 as both white and Black groups decline.
One in Five: Minnesota Nears a Special Education Threshold
Nearly one in five Minnesota students now receives special education services, up from one in seven in 2014, straining budgets despite a historic state funding increase.
Byron Center Has Grown Every Year for Nearly Three Decades
In a state that has lost 349,000 students since 2004, Byron Center Public Schools has doubled its enrollment across 28 consecutive years of growth.
Kansas Lost 12,539 Students in Three Years
After a brief post-COVID recovery, Kansas enrollment has dropped for three straight years, with 181 districts losing students in 2026 and no sign of stabilization.
Three in Four Denver Homeless Students Are Chronically Absent
Denver Public Schools' student who is currently homeless chronic absenteeism rate hit 76.2% in 2024-25, worsening by 5 points as the district's equity gaps widened across nearly every subgroup.
The DASS Divide: California's Alternative Schools Have 56% Chronic Absenteeism
Dashboard Alternative School Status schools have a 38-point chronic absenteeism gap over traditional schools, the largest structural divide in California's attendance data.
Magazine's Year-Round Calendar and a 27-Point Drop in Chronic Absence
Magazine School District adopted a continuous calendar before COVID and has since recovered faster than nearly any district in Arkansas, cutting chronic absence from 36% to 9%.
Alaska Never Actually Recovered
Alaska's post-COVID enrollment gains were an illusion. The state is now 3,272 students below pre-pandemic levels, and correspondence growth masked deeper traditional losses.
COVID Gave Wisconsin Charters a 7,500-Student Boost They Never Gave Back
Charter enrollment surged 17.5% during the pandemic, driven almost entirely by virtual schools. Four years later, the sector has kept those gains.
The Hispanic-White Attendance Gap Nearly Doubled After COVID in Washington
One in three Hispanic students in Washington is chronically absent, and the gap with white students has widened from 4.9 to 8.9 percentage points since the pandemic.
White Students Are Now 43% of Virginia's Schools
Virginia crossed the majority-minority threshold in 2014. Since then, white enrollment has fallen by 106,000 students and 13 more divisions have flipped.
Four Gateway Cities, Four Different Trajectories: Providence Recovers While Pawtucket Stalls
RI's four gateway cities all exceeded 33% chronic absenteeism in 2022. Providence and Central Falls recovered dramatically; Pawtucket and Woonsocket barely moved.
Coatesville's 37-Point Attendance Turnaround
Coatesville Area SD went from 50% chronic absence to 13% in three years, the largest such improvement among traditional Pennsylvania districts.
In 23 Oregon Districts, Hispanic Students Graduate at Higher Rates Than White Students
In 23 Oregon districts, Hispanic students graduate at higher rates than white students. The gaps are largest in agricultural communities.
Six Suburban Giants All Hit Record Lows
Denver's six largest suburban districts have lost a combined 35,776 students from their peaks. All six hit all-time lows in 2025-26.
One in Three Arizona Districts Just Hit Rock Bottom
175 Arizona districts reached their all-time enrollment low in 2025-26, including most of the state's largest traditional systems.
One Student: Glendo High School and Wyoming's Vanishing Rural Schools
Glendo High School enrolled one student in 2025-26. One of 19 Wyoming schools with fewer than 10, part of a rural system in the least populated state.
Winooski's 23-Point Chronic Absenteeism Spike Coincides With Immigration Crackdown
Winooski SD, Vermont's most diverse district, saw chronic absenteeism surge from 29% to 53% in one year as immigration enforcement heightened student anxiety.
One in Four Texas Students Now Learns English as a Second Language
Texas has 1.35 million English learners, up 97% in 20 years. LEP growth was 4.5x total enrollment growth since 2020, but 2025 brought the first dip.
Nearly Half of SC Districts Hit Record Lows
34 of South Carolina's 81 school districts recorded their lowest enrollment in 12 years in 2025-26, while 59 declined and only 5 reached highs.
Ohio's Kindergarten Class Hits a Record Low
Ohio's 2025-26 kindergarten class of 112,390 is the smallest in 12 years, 1,865 below the COVID floor.
Only 14% of New York Districts Have Recovered From COVID
Just 101 of 722 New York districts have returned to pre-pandemic enrollment. Nine in ten students attend a district still below 2019.
Newark Cut Chronic Absenteeism by More Than Half
Newark's chronic absenteeism dropped from 26.8% to 11.5%, falling below the state average while 87% of NJ districts remain above pre-COVID levels.
6,336 Students Below the Trend Line
North Dakota's enrollment sits 6,336 students below its pre-COVID trajectory, a gap worth $71.9 million in per-pupil funding that widens each year.
Ludlow's 18-Year Losing Streak Is the Longest in Massachusetts
No Massachusetts district has declined longer without interruption than Ludlow, which has lost students every year since 2009 and shed 30.6%.
Four in Five Indiana Districts Never Recovered from COVID
Of 269 Indiana corporations that lost students during COVID, only 60 have returned to pre-pandemic levels. The state just hit a new post-COVID low.
One in Three Low-Income Students in Hawaii Is Chronically Absent
One in three economically disadvantaged students in Hawaii is chronically absent, up from 21% before COVID to 32% in 2024-25.
Georgia Went From 67.5% to 87.2% in 14 Years
Georgia's graduation rate climbed 19.8 points since 2011, matching the national average. The Class of 2025 produced 35,520 more graduates.
Duval County Hits All-Time High: 45% of Jacksonville Students Chronically Absent
Jacksonville's school district recorded a 44.8% chronic absenteeism rate in 2023-24 — the highest ever and the worst among Florida's large districts.
Delaware Hits an All-Time High 88.9% Graduation Rate. The 90% Line Is Still 1.1 Points Away.
Delaware's four-year graduation rate reached 88.9% for the class of 2023, its highest ever, but the state has never crossed 90%. The DOE wants 91% by 2028.
CREC Doubled While Hartford Emptied
CREC magnet enrollment grew 96% since 2011 under the Sheff desegregation ruling while Hartford lost 27% of its students and dropped from largest to fourth-largest district.
Nearly Two in Five Native American Students in Arizona Are Chronically Absent
Native American students face 37.3% chronic absenteeism, 13.5 points above the state average. On some reservations, the rate exceeds 60%.
Nearly Half of Milwaukee Students Are Chronically Absent
Milwaukee's 46.2% chronic absenteeism rate means 28,355 students miss too much school, 22% of all chronically absent students statewide.
Three of 41 Utah Districts Have Recovered
Only Wayne, Carbon, and Juab districts have returned to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates. The other 38 carry an average excess of 11.3 percentage points.
South Dakota Has 1.10 Kindergartners for Every Senior
The ratio of kindergartners to 12th graders has collapsed from 1.41 to 1.10 in a decade, signaling years of accelerating enrollment decline ahead.
Absence Rate for SC Students Who Are Homeless Has Not Budged in Four Years
Students who are currently homeless in SC have a 48.7% chronic absenteeism rate that has barely budged in four years, while students in foster care are getting worse.
Paterson's Black Students Trail Every Group in Attendance Recovery
Black chronic absenteeism in Paterson hit 45.9% in 2023-24, still 10.7 points above pre-COVID levels and 4x the statewide white rate.
20 New Hampshire Districts Hit All-Time Low Graduation Rates in 2025
One in five NH districts posted their lowest graduation rate on record in 2025, including the capital, second-largest city, and affluent suburbs.
Maine Lost More Students This Year Than Any Since COVID
Maine lost 2,134 students in 2025-26, the worst non-COVID year on record. Three years of losses have erased the post-pandemic bounce.
Louisiana's White Student Share Falls to 40%
White enrollment fell to 40.2% in Louisiana public schools, down from 47.1% in seven years. Seventy of 74 parishes lost white students.
Native American Students Lead Idaho's Absence Recovery With 11.5-Point Drop
Native American students cut their chronic absenteeism rate from 32.8% to 21.3% over four years, far outpacing every other racial group in Idaho.
Delaware Claws Back 81% of Its Attendance Crisis
Delaware cut chronic absenteeism from 25.7% to 17.1% in three years, with each year's improvement larger than the last.
Mobile County Has Lost One in Five Students
Alabama's largest district has declined for 10 straight years, shedding 11,829 students since 2016. No year in the streak brought a gain.
Nearly One in Three Memphis Students Is Chronically Absent
Memphis-Shelby County Schools posted a 30.2% chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25 while every other major Tennessee district improved. The gap is widening.
Nebraska Has Recovered Only 26% of Its COVID Absence Spike -- at This Pace, Recovery Won't Come Until 2034
Nebraska's chronic absenteeism rate has fallen only 2.4 percentage points from its 2022 peak, with 21,515 more students chronically absent than before COVID.
St. Louis City Schools: 68 Buildings, 16,211 Students
St. Louis Public Schools enrolled 43,420 students in 2001. By 2026, just 16,211 remain, a 62.7% collapse that now threatens the district's accreditation and half its buildings.
Nearly Half of Baltimore City Students Are Chronically Absent
Baltimore City's 48.7% chronic absenteeism rate is 22.0 points above the state average and nearly three times Frederick County's rate.
Iowa's Decline Is Accelerating: Three Years Now Worse Than COVID
Iowa lost 14,710 students in three years, exceeding the COVID crash. The 2026 loss of 7,670 doubled the prior year and 236 of 329 districts shrank.
Every Hawaiian County Moved Further From Pre-COVID Enrollment in 2026
Hawaii's COVID enrollment recovery reversed in 2025-26 as all four counties widened the gap from 2019. The state lost 3,425 students in a single year.
Georgia's Racial Absence Gap Has Nearly Tripled
Before COVID, Georgia's Black-white chronic absenteeism gap was 2.9 points. Six years later it has ballooned to 7.5 points, still widening.
Hartford's 28% Chronic Absence Was Already a Crisis Before COVID
Hartford School District's chronic absenteeism rate never dropped below 22% in nine years of data — the pre-COVID baseline reveals a structural attendance emergency that the pandemic only amplified.
Clark County's 106,000 Chronically Absent Students
More than one in three Clark County students were chronically absent in 2024-25. The district accounts for 68% of all chronically absent students in Nevada.
Three Counties Now Enroll 55% of Nebraska's Students
Douglas, Sarpy, and Lancaster counties added 41,573 students since 2005 while the rest of Nebraska added just 1,976, a 6.2-point enrollment shift.
Nearly Two in Five Native American Students in North Dakota Are Chronically Absent
Native American students face a 39% chronic absence rate, 24 points above white peers, with reservation districts like Belcourt and Fargo reporting rates above 50%.
Hispanic Students Are Montana's Only Growing Demographic
Hispanic enrollment rose 44.8% since 2018 while every other racial group declined. Growth spans the state but may be slowing.
The Delta Is Losing a Third of Its Students
Six Mississippi Delta school districts have lost 5,687 students since 2016, a 34.8% decline that is 2.7 times the statewide rate.
Minnesota's Charter Movement Hits a Ceiling
The state that invented charter schools 35 years ago saw its charter share stall at 8.3% in 2025-26, even as 76 of the 245 charters ever opened have closed.
Michigan Has Lost Students for 20 Straight Years
Michigan public schools have lost 348,841 students over 20 consecutive years, a 20.3% decline that has erased $3.5 billion in funding capacity.
Goddard's 18-Year Growth Streak Was the Longest in Kansas
Goddard USD 265 grew every year from 2006 to 2023, adding 2,100 students. Then the streak broke, and voters rejected a $196 million bond.
Colorado Springs D11: From 29% to 46% Chronic Absenteeism in a Single Year
Colorado Springs District 11 saw chronic absenteeism surge 16.6 percentage points in one year, the largest swing among any large Colorado district, with more than half of Black and Hispanic students now chronically absent.
The Charter COVID Paradox: Lower Absence During the Pandemic, Now Converged
Charter schools had 5.8 points lower chronic absenteeism than traditional schools at the pandemic peak. By 2025, the gap has essentially closed.
Pine Bluff's Second Act: Under State Control, the District Cut Chronic Absence in Half
Pine Bluff was taken over by the state for failing schools. Under new leadership, the district has cut chronic absenteeism from 19% to 11% and won back local control.
Virtual Districts Are the Only Ones Growing in Alaska
Three correspondence districts added 5,880 students since 2020 while traditional districts lost thousands. Even Mat-Su's apparent growth is driven by a new virtual program.
97% of Illinois Districts Have Not Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance Levels
Only 23 of 822 Illinois districts have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism rates. The rest are stuck 11 points above baseline.
Georgia's Chronic Absenteeism Rate Is the Lowest Since the Pandemic — One in Five Students Still at Risk
Only 12 of 194 Georgia districts have recovered to pre-COVID attendance levels. The state has 131,735 more chronically absent students than in 2019.
Wisconsin Lost 8,121 Students in a Single Year, and It Wasn't Even the Worst Recent Drop
Wisconsin lost 8,121 public school students in 2024-25, its second-largest non-COVID drop. Combined with last year's 8,802 loss, the two-year decline rivals the pandemic year itself.
Tacoma's Attendance Recovery Reversed: Chronic Absenteeism Jumped Back to 36%
After three years of steady improvement, Tacoma's chronic absenteeism rate rose 2.3 points to 36.2% in 2025 — the largest reversal among Washington's top 10 districts.
Virginia's 19% Recovery
Virginia recovered less than a fifth of students lost to COVID. Five years later, enrollment is still sliding and the forces behind it are structural.
Barrington's 7.6%: How Rhode Island's Wealthiest Suburb Keeps Chronic Absence in Single Digits
Barrington has maintained the lowest chronic absenteeism rate among large RI districts for 13 years, never exceeding 10% — even during the COVID peak.
Philadelphia's Attendance Equity Gap Tripled Since COVID
42% of Black students in Philadelphia are chronically absent, compared to 27% of white students. The gap has tripled since pre-COVID.
CTE Concentrators Graduate at 97.8% — 15 Points Above the Oregon Average
CTE concentrators graduate at 97.8% in Oregon, nearly 15 points above the state average. Even CTE participants graduate above 91%.
11 of 19 Nevada Counties at All-Time Enrollment Lows
From Clark County to Esmeralda's 69 students, traditional districts across Nevada are smaller than at any point in the last eight years as charters grow.
33,829 Students Vanished. The Real Loss Came After.
Arizona's COVID enrollment shock was the largest single-year loss in state data. But the 59,272 students lost since the 2022 bounce dwarf the pandemic itself.
Wyoming's Worst Year: 2026 Decline Shatters 26-Year Record
Wyoming lost 2,483 students in 2025-26, the largest single-year decline in the state's 26-year enrollment record, surpassing even the COVID drop.
One in Four Vermont Students Still Chronically Absent — And the Recovery Is Stalling
Vermont's chronic absenteeism peaked at 37.4% in 2022 and has recovered only 59% of the way back. The improvement decelerated from 10.5 points to 2.6 points in one year.
Houston ISD Hits Its Lowest Point in Two Decades
Houston ISD has fallen to 168,812 students, its lowest in 22 years, while suburban neighbors added nearly 200,000.
How a Small College Built SC's Sixth-Largest School District
The Charter Institute at Erskine grew from 8,450 to 28,376 students in seven years, becoming SC's sixth-largest district.
Cleveland's Collapse: 29 Schools Closing as Enrollment Hits Bottom
Cleveland Municipal fell to 32,369 students, down 16.7% since 2015. The district is closing 29 schools to address a $150 million deficit.
Rochester Has Declined 17 Straight Years
Rochester City School District has lost 12,880 students since peaking in 2006, declining every year since 2010. No other Big Five district comes close.
Oil Country Quadrupled Its Schools
McKenzie County grew 345% since 2008 as the Bakken boom reshaped western ND. Rapid growth brought teacher shortages and a graduation gap.
Hispanic Enrollment Dips for Only the Second Time in 33 Years
After tripling from 77,410 to 237,226 since 1994, Hispanic enrollment in Massachusetts fell by 1,298 in 2026. Gateway cities bore the losses.
Marion County Charters Now Enroll Nearly Double IPS
73 charter corporations in Marion County enrolled 35,898 students in 2025-26, 1.8 times the 19,774 at IPS. The crossover came in 2020.
Hawaii's Charter Schools: A 58-Point Spread from the State's Best Attendance to Near the Worst
Hawaii's charter schools show the widest chronic absenteeism spread of any school category, from Kanuikapono PCS at 1% to Connections PCS at 59%, revealing that charter status alone says nothing about attendance.
Florida's Attendance Recovery Has Stalled at 7.5% — and 2024 Made It Worse
Florida's chronic absenteeism rate sits at 31.4%, barely below its pandemic peak. At the current pace, the state won't return to pre-COVID levels until 2048.
The Majority-Minority Wave Reaches the Suburbs
Nearly one in three Connecticut districts is now majority-minority, double the rate in 2011. The shift has moved from cities to inner suburbs.
Arizona's Attendance Recovery Has Stalled — and Nearly One in Four Students Is Still Missing Too Much School
Arizona cut chronic absenteeism from 32% to 24%, but progress nearly stopped in 2025. At current pace, pre-COVID levels won't return until the 2040s.
Wisconsin's Attendance Recovery Just Hit a Wall
After cutting chronic absenteeism by 3.2 points in 2023, Wisconsin's improvement shrank to just 0.4 points in 2025, leaving 130,131 students still missing too much school.
Utah's Charter Absence Rate Spikes to 27% While Traditional Districts Hold Steady
Charter chronic absenteeism jumped 2.8 points to 27.3% in 2025 while traditional districts edged down to 23.3%, opening the widest sector gap on record.
14,000 Native Students, 17 Years of Standing Still
South Dakota's Native American enrollment barely moved in 17 years while Hispanic numbers nearly quadrupled, shrinking the Native share from the inside out.
Only 1 in 8 NJ Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance
New Jersey's chronic absenteeism rate has improved since its 2022 peak, but just 12.9% of districts have returned to pre-pandemic levels. The gap is widest in urban districts.
The Charter Gap: NH Charter Schools Graduate 17 Fewer Per 100 Than Traditional Districts
NH charter schools average a 72.5% graduation rate vs. 89.3% for traditional districts. Every district below 70% is a charter.
One in Four NC Students Chronically Absent as Recovery Loses Steam
North Carolina's chronic absenteeism rate dropped to 25% but the pace of improvement has more than halved, leaving 391,065 students missing a month of school.
Lewiston Is Growing While Maine Shrinks
Maine's second-largest district has added students three years running, driven by immigrant families remaking a former mill town even as the state hits an enrollment low.
One in Eight Louisiana Students Now Attends a Charter School
Charter enrollment reached 12.4% of Louisiana's public school total in 2025-26, gaining 6,914 students since 2022 while traditional parishes lost 32,171.
One in Three Caldwell Students Are Chronically Absent
Caldwell District's 34.1% chronic absenteeism rate is the highest among Idaho's large districts, and higher than when the state started tracking the data.
Four Districts, One City, 6,476 Fewer Students
Brandywine, Christina, Colonial, and Red Clay lost 6,476 students combined while the rest of Delaware grew 20.3%. The Redding Consortium voted to merge them.
28 Alabama Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Enrollment. Four in Five Have Not
28 of 138 Alabama districts have regained pre-pandemic enrollment. The state as a whole remains 25,755 students below its fall 2019 headcount and is still falling.
180,000 Students Still Missing Too Much School
Tennessee cut chronic absenteeism from its peak but the pace of improvement halved last year, leaving nearly one in five students chronically absent.
Alliance Public Schools Cut Chronic Absenteeism from 48% to 20% in Four Years
Alliance Public Schools achieved Nebraska's largest chronic absenteeism improvement: a 28.5 percentage-point drop over four consecutive years.
Missouri Public Schools Just Hit Their Lowest Enrollment in at Least 25 Years
Missouri's 855,081 public school students in 2025-26 marks a 25-year low, with losses accelerating from 220 students per year in the 2000s to nearly 3,900 per year since 2019.
Hispanic Enrollment Dipped for the First Time in 2026
After a decade of growth, Iowa's Hispanic enrollment fell by 197 students. Des Moines and meatpacking towns drove the loss.
Hawaii Falls Below 165,000 Students for the First Time
Hawaii enrollment hit 163,651, a new record low. Losses nearly quadrupled in two years as housing costs push families to the mainland.
Half of Connecticut Districts Hit All-Time High Chronic Absenteeism — Before the Real Crisis
In the COVID-shortened 2019-20 school year, 78 of 187 Connecticut districts hit their worst-ever chronic absenteeism rates — a preview of the spike to 23.7% that would come two years later.
One in Three Nevada Students Missing Too Much School
An estimated 155,000 Nevada students were chronically absent in 2024-25, with a weighted statewide rate of 32.6% -- nearly double the pre-COVID level.
Fremont Schools Are Now Majority Hispanic
Fremont voted to ban undocumented renters in 2010. Its schools are now 50.5% Hispanic and 45.2% white. The crossover happened in 2025.
North Dakota's Chronic Absence Recovery Has Stalled. One in Five Students Still Missing Too Much School
Despite reopening schools faster than almost any state, North Dakota's chronic absenteeism rate has flatlined at 20% for two consecutive years, recovering just 20% of the way back to pre-pandemic levels.
Bozeman HS Grew 32% While Montana Shrank
Bozeman's high school district has added 687 students over eight consecutive years of growth, the longest streak in Montana, even as every other major city's elementary enrollment hits record lows.
Mississippi Has Lost Students Every Year for a Decade
Ten consecutive years of decline have cost Mississippi 62,661 public school students, a 12.9% drop with no reversal in sight.
43% Black: How St. Cloud Became Minnesota's Most Transformed District
St. Cloud's Black enrollment surged from 12% to 43% in 20 years, driven by Somali resettlement. The district now has more Black students than white.
Michigan Lost 387,613 White Students in 29 Years
White enrollment fell 31% while Hispanic and multiracial students tripled, reshaping a school system that is shrinking and diversifying simultaneously.
In Turner-KC, a 43-Point Demographic Reversal
No Kansas district has changed more. Turner-Kansas City went from 67% white to 23% in 21 years, the largest racial composition shift in the state.
Colorado's Attendance Recovery Just Reversed. The State's 2028 Goal Is Now Unreachable.
After two years of accelerating improvement, Colorado's chronic absenteeism rate ticked back up to 28.5% in 2025, putting the state's goal of 15% by 2027-28 out of reach.
Bakersfield Cut Chronic Absenteeism 33 Points -- California's Largest Turnaround
Bakersfield City School District went from 51.6% chronic absenteeism to 18.9% in three years, dropping below the state average.
Only 13% Improved: The 30 Districts That Bucked Arkansas's Worst Attendance Year
In 2023-24, Arkansas hit a record 27.7% chronic absence rate and 87% of districts got worse. These 30 districts went the other direction.
Phillip Brooks Takes the Helm at a School That Rewrote Its Own Name
Montgomery Public Schools names Phillip Brooks principal of JAG High School, the former Jefferson Davis HS renamed for civil rights leaders in 2022.
Alaska's Black Student Population Shrinks Nearly 20% in Six Years
Black enrollment fell from 3,317 to 2,669 since 2020, the steepest decline of any racial group and nearly eight times the statewide rate.
150,000 Fewer White Students in 19 Years
Wisconsin lost 150,475 white students since 2006, a 22.1% decline that dwarfs the state's total enrollment loss of 67,640.
Washington's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Has Stalled
After three years of improvement, Washington's chronic absence rate barely budged in 2025, leaving 296,544 students missing too much school.
Virginia Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
VDOE releases 2024-25 data showing 1,261,501 students statewide, down 36,511 from peak, with only 19% of losses recovered.
The White-Black Graduation Gap in Oregon Has Halved: 20 Points to 9
Oregon's white-Black graduation gap narrowed from 20.1 to 9.1 points since 2010, driven by Black students' 25.6-point gain. It widened slightly in 2025.
The Race Gap Between Nevada's Two School Systems Just Closed
Nevada's charter schools closed the racial gap with traditional districts even as charters gained 28,201 students and traditional lost 53,160.
Native American Enrollment Falls 22% in Colorado, Steepest of Any Group
Native American students in Colorado public schools dropped from 6,420 to 4,974 over 11 years, declining nearly twice as fast as white enrollment.
Mesa Unified Hits Its All-Time Low
Arizona's largest district has lost nearly 10,000 students since 2019, with losses accelerating to 2,625 in the latest year alone.
Wyoming Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
WDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing Wyoming lost 2,483 students, the largest single-year decline in 26 years of records.
The Growth Machine Stalls
Texas enrollment fell 47,195 students in 2025-26, only the second decline in 22 years and the first not caused by a pandemic.
One in Seven SC Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment in SC nearly doubled in 11 years, from 60,023 to 116,754. Without that growth, the state would have lost students.
Hispanic Enrollment Doubled in Ohio. Then It Stopped.
Hispanic enrollment in Ohio grew 68% in 11 years, reshaping districts from Columbus suburbs to Lake Erie nursery towns. Then 2026 hit a wall.
475 New York Districts at All-Time Lows
Nearly half of New York's 1,064 districts hit their lowest enrollment ever in 2026, including 24 of 32 NYC geographic districts.
89% to 82%: North Dakota's Graduation Rate Collapse
North Dakota's four-year graduation rate has fallen every year since 2020, dropping 6.6 points as a growing cohort outpaces the system.
After Three Decades of Growth, LEP Enrollment Falls by 6,889 in a Single Year
Massachusetts LEP enrollment nearly tripled over 30 years to a peak of 127,673 in 2025. In 2026, it dropped 5.4%, the second-largest decline on record.
One in Three Indiana School Corporations Is Now Majority-Minority
Indiana's majority-minority school corporations grew from 79 to 134 in a decade, reshaping suburbs from Avon to Seymour and manufacturing towns statewide.
Danbury Grew 7% While Connecticut Shrank
Immigration powered Danbury to buck a statewide enrollment collapse, but a 506-student drop in 2025-26 signals the growth engine may be stalling.
Two-Thirds of South Dakota Districts Enroll Fewer Than 500 Students
South Dakota's 147 school districts range from 20 to 24,841 students. The bottom half hold just 12% of the state's enrollment.
Manchester's Quiet Turnaround: 4-Year Streak Lifts NH's Largest District
Manchester has posted four consecutive years of graduation rate improvement, climbing from 67.8% to 75.6% — even as the state average fell.
One in 18 Maine Students Is Now Black
Black enrollment in Maine surged 50% in nine years, driven by African immigrant families in Lewiston and Portland, even as total enrollment hit a low.
Caddo Parish Has Lost Students Every Year for Seven Years
Caddo Parish lost 5,611 students since 2019, a 14.8% decline that leads Louisiana and has triggered school closures.
Idaho's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Has Nearly Stalled
Idaho's absenteeism rate dropped just 0.4 points last year after sharp improvements in 2023 and 2024, leaving 44,640 students still habitually absent.
15 Delaware Districts Hit All-Time Highs
15 of 41 Delaware districts set enrollment records in 2024-25 while only 3 hit lows. Sussex County growth and charter expansion drive the rare ratio.
White Students Drop Below 50% in Alabama for First Time
White students hit 50.0% of Alabama enrollment in 2024-25, crossing below the majority line as Hispanic students nearly doubled over nine years.
New Jersey's Attendance Recovery Stalls at 43%
NJ chronic absenteeism dropped from 18.1% to 14.9% since 2022, but 172 districts are worse than their pandemic peak and 47 keep getting worse every year.
Missouri Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
DESE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 855,081 students, a 25-year low that extends an accelerating decline.
Illinois is 143,000 students below where it should be
A pre-COVID trend line projected Illinois would have nearly 2 million students in 2025. Instead it has 1.85 million, a gap driven by outmigration, fewer births, and pandemic fallout.
Iowa's Kindergarten Classes Are Shrinking Six Times Faster Than Its Schools
K enrollment fell 13% since 2015 while total enrollment dropped just 1.9%. The pipeline math means Iowa's steepest losses are still ahead.
Hawaii Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
HIDOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 163,651 students statewide, down 3,425, the largest non-COVID loss on record.
Nebraska's Pre-K Nearly Matches Kindergarten
Pre-K enrollment more than tripled since 2005, now reaching 92% of kindergarten. Nearly one in three new students Nebraska gained came from expanding pre-K.
116 Montana Districts Hit Record-Low Enrollment
Nearly one in three Montana districts are at their lowest enrollment ever recorded, including every major city's elementary system.
DeSoto County Crossed a Line in 2024
Mississippi's largest school district saw Black students overtake White enrollment for the first time in 2024, completing a demographic transformation two decades in the making.
Five Years Later, Minnesota Is Still at the COVID Floor
Minnesota lost 23,236 students between 2020 and 2024. Five years later, only 3,208 have returned, a 13.8% recovery rate that masks a deeper structural shift.
Detroit Gained Students While Every Large Michigan District Lost Them
After losing 73% of its students over two decades, Detroit's reconstituted district posted the largest gain of any big Michigan district in 2024-25.
Kansas Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
KSDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 447,803 students statewide — a three-year decline of 12,539 and the lowest count since 2011.
Little Rock Cut Chronic Absence to 6.7% While Adding 1,800 Students
Arkansas's state capital district pulled off a rare feat: growing enrollment by 81% while slashing chronic absenteeism from 28% to under 7% in two years.
Fairbanks Closed Three Schools. It Was Not Enough.
Fairbanks lost 2,017 students in seven years, closed three schools, and still faces a structural deficit. The decline is accelerating.
Caddo Parish's Three-Year March to an All-Time High: How Shreveport Lost Its Post-COVID Recovery
Caddo Parish recovered to near pre-COVID absenteeism by 2022, then worsened every year since, hitting an all-time high of 31.0% in 2025.
Milwaukee Has Lost One in Four Students
MPS enrollment has fallen 28.6% since 2006, shedding 26,219 students while the state declined just 7.7%. A $46 million budget gap is forcing 260 job cuts.
Three Decades to the Top: Jill Burnes Takes the Helm in Enumclaw
After 35 years in Washington education and more than two decades in Enumclaw, Jill Burnes steps into the superintendent role as the district hits record enrollment and builds a $65M school.
One in Five PA Students Chronically Absent as Recovery Stalls
Pennsylvania's chronic absenteeism rate remains at 20.4%, still 6 percentage points above pre-COVID levels. Recovery is decelerating.
Jefferson County Went From 57% to 92% Graduation, Oregon's Most Sustained Turnaround
Jefferson County SD 509J raised its graduation rate from 57% to 91.7% over 15 years. Its special ed rate climbed from 42% to 93%.
Nevada's Pre-K Enrollment Grew 19% While K-12 Shrank
Nevada added 2,254 pre-K seats since 2019 even as overall enrollment fell by 27,000 students. The expansion faces a funding cliff as federal grants expire.
Idaho Is 17,871 Students Below Its Growth Curve
Idaho added 3,500 students a year for 17 years. Since 2023, it has lost nearly 5,000, and the gap between actual enrollment and pre-COVID projections widens every year.
Hawaii on Track to Drop Below 160,000 Students by 2030
At the current rate of decline, Hawaii will enroll fewer than 160,000 public school students within five years, 13,682 below the state's pre-COVID trajectory.
Colorado's Charter Sector Hits a Wall at 16%
Colorado's charter schools doubled their market share in a decade, but growth has collapsed to 0.3%, raising questions about the sector's ceiling.
Arizona Is One School Year from a Hispanic Majority
Hispanic students now make up 49.2% of Arizona public school enrollment, up from 45.7% eight years ago. White enrollment has fallen 18% in the same period.
One in Four: White Students Fall Below 25% of Texas Enrollment
White enrollment drops to 24.2% of Texas public schools, the lowest share on record, as the state's demographic transformation reaches the suburban ring.
Six SC Districts Have Declined Every Year for 11 Straight Years
Colleton, Darlington, Fairfield, McCormick, Marion, and Williamsburg have lost a combined 8,634 students since 2015. All six are at all-time lows.
Ohio Hits All-Time Enrollment Low as Losses Accelerate
Ohio public school enrollment fell to 1,718,829, its lowest in at least 12 years. The 19,611-student drop is the second-largest on record.
New York's Kindergarten Class Hit Its Lowest Level in 22 Years
Kindergarten enrollment fell to 163,820 in 2026, down 19.2% from its 2013 peak and 7,994 students below the COVID trough — a signal that deeper declines are coming.
New Mexico's Kindergarten Class Has Shrunk 20% Since 2016
New Mexico kindergarten enrollment fell 20% since 2016 while 12th grade grew, inverting the pipeline that once fed the state's schools.
North Dakota's Kindergarten Class Is the Smallest in 14 Years
Kindergarten enrollment fell 13.1% from its 2020 peak. North Dakota now has fewer entering students than graduates, a first since the Bakken boom.
Only Voc-Tech Is Growing in Massachusetts
Massachusetts' 29 voc-tech districts grew 19.3% since 2008 while traditional districts lost 93,000 students and 8,100 seats go unfilled.
Nine Indiana School Corporations Hold Perfect Losing Records
Nine Indiana school corporations lost enrollment every single year from 2017 through 2026. Six suburban districts grew every year. Combined, the losers shed twice what the winners gained.
Connecticut Lost 10,640 Students in a Single Year
Connecticut's 2025-26 enrollment dropped 2.1%, the largest non-COVID decline since 2007. First grade alone lost 4,322 students as the 2024 rebound proved a mirage.
How Virtual Schools Turned Nine Small Districts Into Statistical Boomtowns
Nine Washington districts report enrollment growth over 200%, but the students are virtual, the operators are for-profit, and the classrooms are empty.
South Dakota Schools Lost 13 Points of White Share in 17 Years
White enrollment fell from 82% to 69% as Hispanic students nearly quadrupled and multiracial identification surged across the state.
One in Three Oklahoma Districts Just Hit Record-Low Enrollment
187 of 541 Oklahoma districts are at all-time low enrollment in 2025-26, including Tulsa, OKC, Moore, and Union. The decline spans every size class.
Bedford and Londonderry: Affluent Suburbs Join the Graduation Slide
Bedford and Londonderry — two of NH's wealthiest suburbs — both hit all-time low graduation rates in 2025, falling roughly 10 points from 2017 peaks.
168,923: Maine Hits Its Enrollment Floor
Maine public school enrollment fell to 168,923 in 2025-26, the lowest in at least a decade, driven by three years of accelerating losses.
One in Nine Louisiana Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment rose 41% in seven years, adding 22,000 students even as Louisiana lost enrollment. Growth is spreading beyond Jefferson Parish.
Florida Lost One in Eight Kindergartners
Florida K enrollment fell 12.1% since 2015. The state now graduates 42,930 more students than it enrolls in kindergarten each year.
Odyssey Charter's Greek Experiment Draws 2,375 Students
Delaware's only Greek immersion charter has grown 150% over 10 consecutive years, becoming the state's most racially diverse district in the process.
714,363: Alabama Hits Its Lowest Enrollment in Over a Decade
Alabama public school enrollment dropped to 714,363 in 2025-26, the lowest in at least 12 years, as the state loses students to demographics, school choice, and immigration enforcement.
Alabama Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
ALSDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 714,363 students statewide, a four-year decline streak and the lowest point in over a decade.
Utah's $100M Question: 14,955 Students Gone, 14,000 Vouchers Awarded
Traditional districts lost 14,955 students in 2026 as the $100M voucher program awarded 14,000 scholarships. The overlap is striking but complex.
Kindergarten Crossed the Line High School Never Did
COVID pushed NJ kindergarten chronic absenteeism past high school. Two years later, K is still 5.8 points above baseline while high school nearly back.
One in three students at Township HSD 113 now receives special education
Suburban Chicago districts are posting double-digit sped rate increases. TSD 113 went from 15% to 34% in six years.
Iowa City Just Became Majority-Minority
Iowa's second-largest school district crossed below 50% white enrollment in 2026. It is one of nine districts to flip in three years.
West Virginia Has Lost Students for 13 Straight Years
Since peaking at 282,309 in 2013, West Virginia public schools have shed 52,663 students with no reprieve, reaching an all-time low of 229,646.
Lincoln Public Schools Loses Students for the First Time in a Generation
After 15 straight growth years adding 10,000 students, LPS lost 334 in 2026. Shrinking K classes and white enrollment decline drive the reversal.
Montana's Native American Students Are Disappearing at Twice the Rate of White Peers
Native American enrollment fell 12.3% since 2018, nearly double the 6.4% white decline. Reservation districts lost 1,391 students across seven tribal nations.
Jackson Lost 11,000 Students in a Decade
Once Mississippi's second-largest district, Jackson Public Schools has shed 39.4% of enrollment since 2016, closed 23 schools, and dropped to third in size.
Minnesota's Hispanic Enrollment Drops for the First Time in 18 Years
After 18 straight years of growth that doubled their numbers, Hispanic students in Minnesota declined by 137 in 2025-26.
95 Districts at Record Lows, 22 at Highs: Arkansas Splits in Two
More than a third of Arkansas districts are at their lowest enrollment since 2005, while growth concentrates in NWA suburbs and charter schools.
Half of Alaska's Districts Hit Record Lows
Twenty-nine of Alaska's districts are at their smallest enrollment ever recorded, including both Anchorage and Fairbanks. Together they hold 66% of the state's students.
Wisconsin Hits an All-Time Low: 805,881 Students
Wisconsin public school enrollment fell to 805,881 in 2025-26, an all-time low capping a decade of unbroken decline that has erased nearly 70,000 students.
Oregon Hits Record 83% Graduation Rate — But 8,200 Students Still Don't Finish on Time
Oregon's graduation rate hit 83% for the Class of 2025, a 16.6-point gain since 2010. The state still trails the national average by about 4 points.
Nevada's Virtual Schools Lost Half Their Students
Nevada's two virtual charter schools shed 2,400 students since 2019, but for very different reasons: one was forced to close grades K-8, the other is in freefall.
Michigan Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
CEPI releases 2024-25 enrollment data showing Michigan at 1,366,207 students, a 20-year low.
Maine Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
Maine DOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 168,923 students statewide — down 2,134, the largest non-COVID loss on record.
Idaho's Senior Class Hit a Record. So Did Its Survival Rate.
96.5% of Idaho 9th graders now reach 12th grade, up from 87.7% two decades ago. The 9th grade retention bulge has nearly vanished.
Every Year, 1,400 Students Appear in Hawaii's 9th Grade
Hawaii's public schools consistently enroll 10-17% more 9th graders than the prior year's 8th grade class, a pattern driven by the state's outsized private school sector.
Three in Four Colorado Districts Never Recovered from COVID
Only 49 of 184 Colorado districts have returned to pre-COVID enrollment. The state is 72,839 students below its pre-pandemic trajectory.
Arizona Loses 72,000 Students in Six Years
Arizona public school enrollment has fallen every year since its 2020 peak, and the losses are accelerating. The 2026 decline alone nearly quadrupled the 2023 loss.
Texas Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
TEA releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 5,483,304 students statewide — down 47,195, the first non-pandemic decline in 22 years.
South Carolina's Recovery Is Over
After fully recovering from COVID and reaching a peak of 796,780 students, South Carolina lost 7,694 in a single year. The 800,000 milestone will not be reached.
Ohio Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
ODEW releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 1,718,829 students statewide — down 19,611, the second-largest annual loss on record.
Three Bronx Districts Lost 39,000 Students in 14 Years
NYC Geographic Districts 8, 9, and 10 have shed nearly a third of their enrollment since 2012, with kindergarten down 46% and no year of recovery in sight.
59 New Mexico Districts at Record-Low Enrollment
More than a third of New Mexico's districts are at their smallest enrollment ever recorded, including nine of the 10 largest.
West Fargo Has Grown for 18 Straight Years
West Fargo Schools has added students every year since 2009, more than doubling to 13,211. The gap with Bismarck is now just 466 students.
Framingham Lost Nearly Half Its White Students in 11 Years
Framingham's white enrollment share fell 28.7 percentage points since 2015, the steepest decline of any mid-size Massachusetts district, as Hispanic students became the majority.
The Indianapolis Donut Has a Hole in the Middle
IPS lost a third of its students while outer suburbs hit record highs. Now the first-ring suburbs are declining too.
Connecticut's English Learners Nearly Doubled, Then Vanished
EL enrollment grew 80.5% over 15 years while CT lost 66,739 students. In 2025-26, 2,157 English learners disappeared from the rolls, the largest non-COVID drop on record.
Native American Enrollment Cut in Half
Washington's Native American student count fell from 24,768 to 12,622 in 16 years. A reclassification explains part of the drop, but not the decline since.
South Dakota's Hidden Pre-K System Serves 3,284 Children With Zero State Dollars
Pre-K enrollment tripled from 1,280 to 3,284 over two decades, but most of the growth traces to a 2010 reporting rule change, not new classrooms.
Anadarko Has Lost Students Every Year for a Decade
Anadarko Public Schools has declined 10 consecutive years, losing 586 students and 31% of its enrollment since 2016. No Oklahoma district has a longer active streak.
New Hampshire's Graduation Rate Crashes 1.6 Points After Hitting 11-Year Peak
New Hampshire's graduation rate fell from a record 89.2% to 87.5% in one year — the largest drop in a decade. Dropouts didn't cause it.
Louisiana Has Lost Students Every Year for Seven Years
Traditional public school enrollment in Louisiana fell from 643,986 to 578,632 since 2019, a 10.1% decline with no year of recovery and a 2026 cliff that erased 15,424 students.
Pasco's 10-Year Growth Streak Ends
Pasco County added students every year for a decade. In 2026, the streak broke with a loss of 350, a sign Florida's growth corridors have hit a ceiling.
Nearly One in Three Christina Students Receives Special Ed
Christina's special education rate hit 29.5% as enrollment fell 21.8% over a decade, creating a structural mismatch between growing service needs and a shrinking revenue base.
Park City Lost 731 Students in Seven Years
Park City School District's enrollment fell 15.3% since 2019 as housing costs push working families out of the resort community.
Oregon Is Now 65,714 Students Below Its Pre-Pandemic Path
The gap between where Oregon's enrollment was heading and where it actually is grew by nearly 12,000 students in a single year, and the forces driving the divergence are accelerating.
Maryland's High School Safety Net Just Broke
High school enrollment fell for the first time in a decade, joining K-8 in decline. The pipeline that sustained Maryland's secondary schools has run dry.
One in six Harrisburg students is homeless
Illinois identified nearly 50,000 students who are currently homeless in 2024-25, a six-year high. The steepest rates are in rural southern Illinois, not Chicago.
73% of COVID-Loss Districts Still Declining Five Years Later
Of 223 Iowa districts that lost students during COVID, 164 are now below even their pandemic lows. Iowa is losing students faster than during COVID.
Three counties that have never stopped shrinking
Braxton, Pocahontas, and Roane counties have lost students every single year for 15 straight years, the longest active decline streaks in West Virginia.
Kindergarten Hits a Record Low, and the Pipeline Has No Fix
NH kindergarten enrollment fell to 10,727 in 2025-26, the lowest non-COVID year on record. The private-school buffer that once padded first grade is fading.
Grand Island Is Now 62% Hispanic
Nebraska's meatpacking corridor has transformed: Grand Island crossed majority-Hispanic in 2013, Schuyler hit 88%, and second-wave towns are following.
Montana Lost 8,500 Students in Three Years
After a decade of growth, Montana's public school enrollment has fallen for three straight years to a 9-year low, erasing the gains of the growth era and costing districts millions.
Mississippi Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
MDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 424,534 students statewide, down 10,725 from the prior year.
Minnesota Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
MDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 873,175 students statewide, 3,208 above the post-COVID trough, with a 13.8% recovery rate.
Bryant Went from 94% White to 50% While Growing
Bryant School District's white enrollment share fell 44 percentage points in 21 years, but total enrollment grew 43%. It is the largest growth-driven demographic shift in Arkansas.
One in Nine Alaska Students Now Learns by Mail
Three rural districts host correspondence programs enrolling 14,379 students statewide. As traditional schools close, this parallel system keeps growing.
87 Oregon Districts Have Fewer Than 500 Students. They Serve 3% of Its Children.
More than 40% of Oregon's school districts enroll fewer than 500 students, but they collectively educate just 16,195 children — while virtual charters quietly reshape the rural map.
None of Rhode Island’s six largest districts has recovered enrollment
Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, Warwick, Woonsocket, and East Providence all remain below pre-pandemic enrollment, a combined loss of 7,589 students.
Rhode Island has posted six straight years of enrollment decline
RI public schools have lost students every year since 2019-20. The six-year streak erased 9,728 students and shows no sign of ending.
Portsmouth and South Kingstown each logged 15 straight years of decline
Portsmouth and South Kingstown each posted 15 consecutive years of enrollment decline, losing a combined 2,002 students since 2010-11.
About one in six Rhode Island students is an English learner
English learners now make up 15.2% of Rhode Island enrollment, up from 5.9% in 2011-12, even as growth nearly stopped in 2025-26.
Rhode Island nears one-in-five students in special education
Rhode Island's special-education share hit 19.2% in 2025-26, nearing one in five students, as the state added 3,328 students to the rolls since 2020-21.
Hispanic students now account for nearly one-third of Rhode Island enrollment
Hispanic enrollment in Rhode Island climbed to 42,974 students in 2025-26, reaching 32.1% of the student body after 14 years of nearly unbroken growth.
Half of Rhode Island districts now enroll fewer than 1,000 students
Thirty-two of Rhode Island's 64 districts now enroll fewer than 1,000 students, up from 22 in 2010-11, raising questions about fixed costs and long-term viability.
Rhode Island's economically disadvantaged share jumped above 54%
Rhode Island's economically disadvantaged share leapt from 44% to 54% in a single year, raising questions about whether the jump reflects real hardship or a reporting change.
Rhode Island districts are split: 22 at record lows, 16 at record highs
In 2025-26, 22 Rhode Island districts sit at all-time enrollment lows while 16 are at all-time highs, revealing a state where averages mask diverging realities.
Cumberland stands alone at a traditional-district enrollment high
Cumberland is the only large non-charter district in Rhode Island at an all-time enrollment high, reaching 4,919 students in 2025-26.
COVID-year size paradox: small RI districts grew while large districts shrank
Rhode Island's smallest districts gained students during the 2020-21 pandemic shock while its largest lost thousands, a size paradox that complicates statewide planning.
Wisconsin Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
DPI releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 805,881 students statewide, down 8,121, continuing a decade of unbroken decline.
In Clark County, White Students Are Now One in Five
Clark County School District is 48.9% Hispanic and 18.7% white. The district lost a third of its white students in seven years as Nevada's demographic transformation accelerates.
Nearly One in Five Idaho Kindergarteners Had a Public Pre-K Year
Idaho's public preschool enrollment grew 65% since 2002 despite zero state funding, driven entirely by district-level decisions and federal special education dollars.
Hawaii Falls Below 170,000 for Second Straight Year
Hawaii enrolled 167,076 students in 2024-25, breaching the 170,000 floor for the second year running. Honolulu accounts for 92% of the loss.
District 27J adds 7,187 students as Denver's northern suburbs absorb the growth
District 27J in Brighton grew 42% since 2015, making it Colorado's fastest-growing traditional district even as the state lost nearly 18,000 students.
Arizona Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
ADE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 1,073,531 students statewide, down 25,998 from the prior year.
White Students Fell Below 50% Seven Years Ago. The Gap Keeps Widening.
South Carolina crossed the majority-minority threshold in 2019 and the shift is accelerating, driven by a 94.5% surge in Hispanic enrollment and a 14.9% drop in Black students.
New York Lost 37,000 Students in One Year
After a one-year migrant-driven reprieve in 2024, New York's enrollment plunged by 37,176 students, the worst non-COVID drop since 2012.
Explore Academy Grew 612% in a Decade. Then 2026 Happened.
The flagship Albuquerque charter has posted 10 straight years of growth, but the three-campus network just recorded its first enrollment decline.
North Dakota's 16-Year Growth Era Ends
After adding 23,192 students since 2009, North Dakota's enrollment declined in 2026 for the first time outside a pandemic year, signaling a structural shift.
Cape Cod Has Lost Nearly 40% of Its Students
Cape Cod school enrollment has fallen from 30,970 to 18,925 since 1999, nearly six times the state's rate of decline, as vacation homes replace year-round families.
South Bend Dropped From 5th to 11th Largest in a Decade
South Bend Community School Corp has declined every year for a decade, losing 5,829 students and falling from Indiana's 5th- to 11th-largest district.
One in Five Kindergartners Gone
Connecticut kindergarten enrollment has fallen 21% since 2011, losing 8,431 students. First grade is down 25%. The pipeline feeding the state's schools is collapsing from the bottom up.
1 in 20 Washington Students Now Has a 504 Plan
Section 504 disability accommodations quadrupled since 2010, but affluent districts identify students at six times the rate of high-poverty peers.
Harrisburg Has Never Lost a Student. Now What?
South Dakota's third-largest district added 4,682 students since 2007 without a single down year, but the growth rate is falling fast.
Oklahoma's Elementary Pipeline Is Emptying
K-3 enrollment has fallen 12.2% since 2016, losing 26,484 students. High schools are still growing, but the shrinking cohorts will arrive there by 2030.
Louisiana Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
LDOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 578,632 traditional public school students, down 15,424, the largest non-COVID loss on record.
Florida's Unfinished Recovery: 46 Districts Still Below Pre-Pandemic Enrollment
Only 37% of Florida districts have returned to 2019 enrollment. Recovery peaked in 2023 and is now reversing, with the largest districts hit hardest.
Delaware's English Learner Population Has Doubled in a Decade
Delaware added 7,893 English learners in 10 years, a 69.5% surge that accounts for more than two-thirds of the state's total enrollment growth.
105 Boys for Every 100 Girls in Utah Schools
Utah enrolls 17,532 more boys than girls, a ratio that has barely moved in 13 years. The gap tracks biology, not policy, but niche charters amplify it.
Charter schools now enroll 10% of Rhode Island's public-school students
Rhode Island charter enrollment hit 13,441 students in 2025-26, crossing 10% of public-school enrollment for the first time as traditional districts shed 20,664 students.
Oregon's Smallest K Class in 17 Years
Oregon kindergarten enrollment fell to 34,490 in 2026, down 18.5% from 2020. The shrinking pipeline locks in at least a decade of further decline.
Garrett County Has Not Grown in 7 Years
Maryland's westernmost district has lost students every year since 2020, the longest active decline streak in the state, with no grade level spared.
Four in Five Illinois Districts Still Below Pre-COVID Enrollment
Only 155 of 865 Illinois districts have recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The losses are concentrated in the largest districts, where 92% remain underwater.
Iowa Lost Nearly 50,000 White Students in 11 Years
White enrollment in Iowa public schools fell from 396,263 to 346,681 since 2015, an unbroken 11-year decline that accelerated 3.6x in recent years.
Excel Academy Rhode Island enrollment nearly quadruples in three years
Excel Academy RI grew from 117 to 444 students in three years, leading the state in gains even as Rhode Island lost 9,728 students.
Nine Counties, One Pattern: When the State Steps In
Nine West Virginia county school systems are under state takeover or emergency. All nine have declining enrollment. The financial crises follow the students out the door.
NH Pre-K Enrollment Up 39% as K-12 Shrinks
New Hampshire added 1,230 pre-K students since 2012 even as the state lost 30,483 K-12 students. But growth has stalled, and half of districts still offer no program.
Nebraska Survived COVID. Then the Real Decline Started.
Nebraska grew enrollment during COVID and recovered fully by 2025. But 2026 brought the first post-recovery decline, and more than half of districts never came back.
Montana Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
OPI releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 142,071 students statewide — down 8,502 from peak, the lowest in nine years of records.
One in 18 Arkansas Students Now Identifies as Multiracial
Multiracial enrollment grew 408% since 2010, making two-or-more-races the fastest-growing demographic group in Arkansas schools by a wide margin.
Alaska Loses One in 20 Native Students in Seven Years
Alaska Native enrollment fell from 27,709 to 26,356 since 2020, a 4.9% decline that accounts for 41% of the state's total enrollment loss.
1 in 7 Nevada Students Now Has an IEP
Nevada added 9,224 special ed students since 2021 while total enrollment fell, pushing the IEP rate to 14.8% and straining a system short on staff.
Bonneville Joint Grew 78% in 24 Years, Then Stopped
Eastern Idaho's largest district added 5,943 students over two decades. Three consecutive years of decline signal the growth era is over.
34 Hawaii Schools Fall Below Viability Threshold
With enrollment down 19,774 from its 2014 peak, Hawaii's DOE faces 34 schools below the 250-student funding floor. Redistricting comes first; closures wait until 2028.
White Kindergartners Down 21% in a Decade
Colorado lost 7,400 white kindergartners since 2016 while Hispanic K enrollment barely moved, collapsing a 13,000-student gap to 6,174.
South Carolina Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
SCDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 789,086 students statewide, down 7,694 from a record high, the first non-COVID decline in a decade.
One in Six NYC Students Now Attends a Charter School
New York's charter sector grew from 18,000 to 190,000 students in 21 years while traditional schools lost 567,000. But growth has stalled below 2% annually.
One in Six New Mexico Students Is an English Learner
English learner enrollment grew 4.3% since 2019 while total enrollment fell 11%. Permian Basin immigration and post-Yazzie reforms drive the gap.
North Dakota Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
NDDPI releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 233-student decline, ending a 16-year growth era driven by the Bakken oil boom.
One in Five Massachusetts Students Now Receives Special Education
Massachusetts special education hit an all-time high of 21.3% in 2025-26 as the state added 27,158 students to IEP rolls while overall enrollment fell.
133 Indiana School Corporations Hit Record Lows
Nearly one in three Indiana school corporations enrolled fewer students in 2025-26 than in any year since 2016, including seven of the state's 10 largest systems.
Connecticut Lost 124,518 White Students in 15 Years
White enrollment fell 35.9% since 2011, transforming suburbs like East Haven and South Windsor from 75% white to below 50%. Fifteen districts crossed the majority-minority threshold.
61 Washington Districts Hit All-Time Lows
More Washington school districts sit at record-low enrollment than in any year since 2010, erasing three years of post-COVID recovery.
Huron: 80% White to 38% in 17 Years
Karen refugees and Hispanic workers made Huron South Dakota's most diverse district. Enrollment up 41.6% as white share fell from 80% to 38%.
OKC's Students Moved to the Suburbs. The Funding Didn't.
Inner-ring OKC metro districts lost 19,694 students in a decade while outer-ring suburbs gained 8,469, reshaping the metro's school map.
Gadsden County Has Lost More Than a Quarter of Its Students
Florida's only majority-Black county lost 27.1% of enrollment since 2015, the steepest decline of any sizable district in the state.
Cape Henlopen Grew 45%, and Its Schools Can't Keep Up
Sussex County's beach district added 2,217 students in a decade, outpacing every traditional district in Delaware. The high school is already over capacity.
Utah Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners
Grade 12 enrollment now exceeds kindergarten by 10,463 students, completing a 20,000-student swing that took just 12 years.
After 13 years of growth, Rhode Island's English learner surge freezes
Rhode Island gained just 7 English learners in 2025-26 after adding 1,930 the year before. What a sudden freeze means for staffing and services.
Oregon's High School Pipeline Breaks for the First Time
Oregon's 9th-to-12th grade cohort survival rate fell below 100% for the first time on record, signaling the end of a longstanding senior enrollment bump.
Maryland's 9th Grade Bottleneck
Every year, thousands more students enroll in Maryland's 9th grade than left 8th grade. The gap peaked at 13,775 during COVID and remains above 9,000.
Four Districts, 15 Years, No Growth
Four Illinois districts declined for 15 consecutive years, the longest streaks in the state. All four finally broke in 2023-2025, but three have already resumed losing students.
Waukee Grew 65% While Des Moines Lost 14%
Iowa's suburban donut effect in one metro: Des Moines lost 4,650 students since 2015 while 14 surrounding suburbs gained nearly 14,000.
Only Two of 55 WV Counties Have Recovered from COVID
Berkeley and Doddridge are the only West Virginia counties with more students than in 2019. The other 53 are still falling, and 52 are falling faster.
Farmington Has Lost Half Its Students
Farmington's enrollment fell from 1,379 to 698 in 14 years, the steepest decline among mid-size NH districts, raising viability questions.
Nearly One in Four Nebraska Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment in Nebraska more than doubled over 22 years, adding nearly 45,000 students. In 2026, the growth reversed.
144 Districts Under 1,000 Students, Serving Less Than a Fifth of Arkansas
More than half of Arkansas's 259 school districts enroll fewer than 1,000 students, but together they educate only 17.7% of the state's children.
Anchorage Lost More Students Than All of Alaska
Anchorage shed 4,530 students in seven years, exceeding the entire state's enrollment decline. Three schools will close and 300 teaching positions will be cut.
Nevada's Kindergarten Class Is 15% Smaller Than It Was Seven Years Ago
Kindergarten enrollment fell from 35,834 to 30,490 since 2019 while 12th grade grew 11.5%, creating a pipeline inversion that guarantees years of declining enrollment ahead.
One Network, Seven Campuses, 3,240 Students
Gem Prep grew from a single Pocatello charter to Idaho's first multi-campus network in nine years, now enrolling 12% of all charter students statewide.
Hawaii's Schools Are Aging From the Bottom Up
Elementary enrollment has fallen 10.5% while high school holds steady. A 2014 policy change and declining births created a demographic wave now reshaping every level.
Half of Colorado's Districts Just Hit All-Time Lows
81 of 186 Colorado school districts recorded their lowest enrollment in 12 years in 2025-26, including Jefferson County, Douglas County, and Cherry Creek.
New York Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
NYSED releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 2,447,074 students statewide — down 37,176, the largest non-COVID loss since 2012.
Fewer Than One in Five
White students now represent just 19.6% of New Mexico's public school enrollment, the first time the share has fallen below 20%.
Black Enrollment Hits All-Time High as Diaspora Reshapes Gateway Cities
Massachusetts Black enrollment reached 93,651 in 2026, an all-time record, driven by Haitian immigration into gateway cities even as Boston lost 3,057 Black students since 2019.
Indiana Lost 93,606 White Students in a Decade
White enrollment fell from 69% to 61% of Indiana's public schools since 2016 while every other racial group except Native American grew.
Hartford Lost One in Four Students, and Its #1 Ranking
Hartford dropped from Connecticut's largest district to fourth in 15 years, losing 5,802 students as CREC magnets nearly doubled and kindergarten enrollment was cut in half.
Lake Washington Added 7,123 Students. No Other District Came Close.
Lake Washington grew 30% since 2010, climbing from 6th to 2nd largest in Washington. Asian students now outnumber white in a district reshaped by tech.
27 South Dakota Districts Hit Record Lows
Nearly one in six South Dakota school districts is at its lowest enrollment ever recorded, including the state's second-largest district, Rapid City.
36 Oklahoma Districts Have Fewer Than 100 Students
Thirty-six Oklahoma districts enroll fewer than 100 students combined, serving just 0.3% of the state's children while lawmakers debate consolidation.
White-Majority Districts Are Disappearing Across Florida
More than half of Florida school districts now enroll fewer white students than students of color, a threshold crossed in 2025.
Every Year, 2,000 Extra Freshmen Appear in Delaware
Delaware's 9th-grade classes are 18% larger than their 8th-grade cohorts, a structural anomaly driven by the state's unique vo-tech choice system.
1 in 7: Utah's Special Education Surge
Utah added 23,009 special education students over 12 years while total enrollment grew by a fraction of that rate, pushing SpEd to 13.7% of all students.
Rhode Island public school enrollment falls below 135,000 for the first time
After a near-flat year hinted at a floor, Rhode Island lost 2,149 students and dropped below 135,000 for the first time.
Oregon's Most Diverse District Lost One in Five Students
David Douglas, the most racially diverse district in Oregon, has lost 2,219 students since 2010. White enrollment fell 44%, but the district grew more diverse as it shrank.
Maryland's Kindergarten Classes Keep Shrinking
Maryland kindergarten enrollment has fallen 8.8% in a decade, with 20 of 24 districts below pre-COVID levels and no recovery in sight.
White enrollment fell by 126,000 as Illinois schools grew more diverse
White students account for 92% of Illinois's enrollment decline. The south and southwest suburbs are transforming fastest.
Pacific Islander Students Nearly Quadrupled in Iowa's Meatpacking Towns
Iowa's Pacific Islander enrollment grew 276% since 2015, concentrated in six meatpacking towns. The growth traces to Marshallese families.
Berkeley County: West Virginia's lone bright spot
Of 55 West Virginia districts, only three have grown since 2011. Berkeley County added 1,996 students while the state lost 52,484. But 2026 brought the first crack.
One in Five NH Districts Has Fewer Than 100 Students
New Hampshire has 44 districts with fewer than 100 students, yet those districts serve just 1.5% of enrollment. A look at the state's extreme fragmentation.
Bennington: From 598 Students to Nebraska's 12th-Largest District
Bennington Public Schools has grown every single year for 21 consecutive years, adding 3,942 students and climbing from 68th to 12th in statewide rankings.
Bentonville Passes Little Rock as Arkansas's No. 2 District
Fueled by Walmart's economic engine, Bentonville has doubled in size since 2005 while Little Rock lost a quarter of its students. The crossover happened last year.
Alaska Enrollment Hits Seven-Year Low
Alaska public school enrollment fell to 125,317 in 2025-26, a new low in the dataset, as 29 of 53 districts hit record-low enrollment and outmigration enters its 13th year.
Pinecrest Added 4,000 Students in Seven Years
Pinecrest Academy of Nevada grew 91.6% since 2019, closing in on Somerset as the state's largest charter. Five Academica-managed brands now enroll nearly half of all charter students.
Hazard Cut Its Chronic Absence Rate Nearly in Half
Hazard Independent dropped from 43.2% to 22.5% chronic absenteeism in two years — the biggest turnaround in Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachia.
Boise Shrinks While Its Suburbs Nearly Triple
Vallivue has grown 175% since 2002 as Boise lost 4,604 students. The Treasure Valley's suburban donut is reshaping Idaho education.
Honolulu Nears the 100,000-Student Threshold
Honolulu enrollment fell to 103,985 in 2024-25, its lowest on record. At the current pace, it drops below 100,000 within three years.
28,000 Students, No Buildings
Three virtual operators now enroll more students than Colorado Springs 11, reshaping state enrollment data and raising oversight questions.
Six Years After COVID, 93 Districts Still Haven't Recovered
New Mexico lost 16,782 students during the pandemic. It has lost another 19,996 since. Only 31.6% of districts have returned to 2019 enrollment.
Massachusetts Sits 490 Students Above 900,000
Massachusetts enrollment fell to 900,490 in 2026, the lowest level since 1995 and just 490 students above a threshold the state hasn't breached in more than three decades.
Indiana's Charter Sector Nearly Doubled in a Decade
Charter enrollment grew from 29,906 to 56,675 since 2016 as 72 new schools opened. The sector now enrolls 5.5% of students, serving a far more diverse population than traditional schools.
Connecticut Falls Below 500,000 Students for First Time in a Generation
Connecticut's public school enrollment dropped to 497,760 in 2025-26, crossing below 500,000 for the first time since the early 2000s after 15 years of nearly unbroken decline.
Gender X Grew 6,300% in Washington Schools, Then the Count Reversed
Washington, one of few states tracking nonbinary students, saw Gender X enrollment surge from 77 to nearly 5,000 before declining two years running.
South Dakota Gained Students During COVID. Now the Bill Is Coming Due.
Most states lost students during COVID. South Dakota added 2,275. Three years later, the growth era is over and decline is accelerating.
Traditional Schools Lost 33,300 Students. The State Totals Hid It.
Oklahoma's headline enrollment dipped just 0.9% since 2016. Strip out virtual charters and the picture is five times worse.
32 Florida Districts Hit Rock Bottom in 2026
32 of Florida's 67 regular school districts enrolled fewer students in 2025-26 than in any year since 2015.
Delaware's Special Education Rate Hits 22%, Seven Points Above the Nation
Delaware added 11,728 special education students in a decade, pushing its IEP rate to 22% while the national average sits at 15%.
Ogden Lost 1,755 Students. Both Sides of Its Divide Are Leaving.
Utah's only majority-Hispanic traditional district has lost students every year since 2019, with Hispanic and white families leaving in near-equal numbers.
White students are no longer the majority in Rhode Island schools
White students fell below 50% of Rhode Island enrollment for the first time as the state posted its steepest drop since the pandemic.
93 Students Separate Oregon's #2 and #3 Districts
Beaverton is closer to overtaking Salem-Keizer than at any point in at least 17 years. Both districts are losing students, but on very different terms.
One District Growing: Maryland's 12-District Reversal
Twelve Maryland districts that gained students last year reversed to losses in 2025-26, leaving Kent County as the state's sole gainer.
Cook County Gains Students for the First Time in a Decade
Cook County posted back-to-back enrollment gains after losing 111,000 students. English learner growth is the engine. The rest of Illinois kept falling.
Seven of Iowa's Ten Largest Districts at 12-Year Lows
131 Iowa districts hit 12-year enrollment lows in 2026. Among the 10 largest, only Waukee grew while seven scraped their all-time floor.
One in Three: Clay County's Hidden Housing Crisis
In Clay County, 33.5% of students are classified as homeless under federal law, eight times the state rate and a window into rural WV's housing crisis.
Berlin Has Lost Students Every Year for 14 Years
Berlin has declined every year since 2011-12, the longest unbroken streak in New Hampshire, and now enrolls fewer than 1,000 students.
Nebraska's Kindergarten Class Is Back to Its 2005 Trough
Nebraska kindergarten enrollment fell to 21,275 in 2025-26, essentially matching the 2005 trough after a four-year decline. Grade 12 hit a record 26,008.
One in Seven Springdale Students Is Pacific Islander
Springdale enrolls 2,922 Pacific Islander students, 13.9% of its total and 56.8% of all PI students in Arkansas, driven by the largest Marshallese diaspora community in the continental US.
Alaska Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
DEED releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing Alaska at a seven-year low of 125,317 students.
Seven in 10 Nevada Districts Are Now Majority-Minority
49 of 70 Nevada school districts now have student bodies where white students are less than half, up from 30 of 52 seven years ago.
English Learners Are Kentucky's Attendance Overachievers
Kentucky's 54,712 English learners have a 22.7% chronic absence rate — below the state average. EL enrollment grew 22% while attendance improved.
Five Students, One District: Idaho's Micro-School Fragility
Three Creek enrolls 5 students. Two more districts have single digits. Idaho now has 17 districts under 100 students, the most in 25 years.
One Sector Grew Through COVID. The Rest Lost 15,000 Students.
Hawaii's 38 charter schools added 1,198 students since 2020 while traditional schools across all four counties lost 15,210. Charter share hits 7.8%.
Jefferson County Has Lost 12,521 Students in 10 Years
Colorado's second-largest district has declined every year since 2016, closing 21 schools and facing a $49 million deficit.
Espanola Has Lost More Than a Third of Its Students
Espanola Public Schools shed 1,475 students over the past decade, a 37.3% decline that ranks second-worst among mid-size New Mexico districts.
One in 19 Massachusetts Students Now Attends a Charter School
Charter enrollment grew 11% since 2019 while traditional public schools lost 55,933 students. The gap widened during COVID and never closed.
IPS Has Lost a Third of Its Students
IPS shed 1,281 students in 2025-26, the steepest non-pandemic drop in a decade of decline. Marion County charters now enroll nearly double.
Connecticut Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
CSDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 497,760 students statewide — down 10,640, the largest loss since 2007.
1 in 25 Washington Students Was Homeless Last Year
Washington's student who is currently homeless count tripled to 43,542 over 15 years before a suspicious 28% drop in 2026 that may reflect funding cuts, not improvement.
Kindergarten Down 9% in Three Years
South Dakota's kindergarten enrollment has fallen from 12,082 to 10,954 since 2022, the sharpest sustained decline on record. The shrinking pipeline foreshadows years of total enrollment loss.
Three in Four Oklahoma Districts Still Below Pre-COVID Enrollment
Five years after the pandemic, only 136 of 515 Oklahoma districts have recovered to 2019 levels. The state's brief rebound masked a deeper structural decline.
St. Johns: Florida's Last Growing Giant
St. Johns County added 17,222 students over 11 years, but its growth rate collapsed from 7.8% to 0.3% in 2026, the lowest in its streak.
One in Five Delaware Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment grew 45% in a decade, adding 9,633 students and accounting for 83% of Delaware's net growth. Sussex County districts are transforming fastest.
The Charter That Grew 356% by Serving Who Others Lost
Wallace Stegner Academy went from 624 to 2,848 students in seven years, becoming Utah's third-largest charter by opening campuses in majority-Hispanic neighborhoods.
Rhode Island Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
RIDE releases October 2025 enrollment data showing a 2,149-student drop, the steepest decline since COVID upended the 2020-21 school year.
Oregon's COVID Recovery Is Going Backward
Only 28% of Oregon districts have returned to pre-pandemic enrollment. The non-recovery is accelerating, and zero large districts have bounced back.
Baltimore County's Six-Year Slide Reaches a New Floor
Baltimore County Public Schools fell to 104,031 students in 2025-26, its lowest on record. The 1,913-student drop was the steepest in five years.
Joliet's English learner population tripled in six years
Suburban Chicago HSDs built for monolingual instruction are absorbing triple-digit EL growth. Joliet 204 went from 494 to 1,642 English learners.
Postville: Iowa's 75% Hispanic School District
Postville's Hispanic share surged from 48.5% to 74.8% in 11 years, making this meatpacking town Iowa's most Hispanic district.
A 13,000-Student Gap Shrinks to 726
Seven coal counties once enrolled 13,372 more students than three Eastern Panhandle counties. Fifteen years of divergent trajectories have nearly erased that lead.
Only 21 Traditional Districts Are Growing
Of 173 traditional public school districts in New Hampshire, 148 have lost students since 2012. The 21 that gained added just 895 students combined.
Omaha Public Schools: From Half White to One in Five
OPS was 46% white in 2005. It is 20.3% today. Hispanic students now outnumber white students two to one in Nebraska's largest district.
One in 40 Arkansas Students Now Attends School Online
Arkansas's two virtual schools enrolled 11,559 students in 2025-26, nearly tripling since 2020 and capturing 42% of all enrollment growth statewide.
69 Students: Inside Nevada's Emptiest School District
Esmeralda County enrolled just 69 students in 2025-26, a new all-time low. The district has lost 28% of its enrollment since 2019 in a county of 710 people.
Bowling Green Keeps Chronic Absence at Half the State Rate
Bowling Green Independent, a diverse refugee-rich district of 5,229, posted a 12.6% chronic rate — less than half Kentucky's 25% average.
Vallivue Crossed 10,000 Students While Its Neighbors Shrink
Vallivue has nearly tripled since 2002, climbing from Idaho's 20th to 6th largest district while neighbors Nampa and Caldwell shrink.
All Four Hawaii Counties at Record Lows
Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, and Kauai all hit all-time enrollment lows simultaneously in 2024-25, while charter schools reach a record high.
Colorado Hits All-Time Low as 10,000 Students Vanish
Colorado public schools lost 10,272 students in 2025-26, the largest non-COVID drop on record, pushing enrollment to its lowest point in more than a decade.
Charter Growth Stalls After Seven-Year Run
New Mexico's charter sector lost 508 students in 2025-26, its first enrollment decline since at least 2019, as brick-and-mortar charters contract.
White Students at 50.8%, One Year from Minority
Massachusetts white enrollment share has fallen every year for 33 years, from 79.3% to 50.8%. At the current pace, the state crosses below 50% in 2027.
Hispanic Students Are Now Indiana's Largest Minority Group
Hispanic enrollment surpassed Black enrollment statewide in 2020 and the gap has widened to 16,163 students. Then growth stopped.
Six Years Later, 63% of Washington Districts Haven't Recovered
Only 117 of 316 Washington school districts have recovered to pre-COVID enrollment levels. In 2026, even the recovery stalled.
Rapid City Hits Its Lowest Enrollment on Record
South Dakota's second-largest district has lost nearly 2,000 students since 2012 while the state grew. The kindergarten pipeline is collapsing.
Bixby Grew 41% While Tulsa Lost a Fifth of Its Students
Tulsa Public Schools has shed 8,417 students since 2016. The suburbs ringing it have absorbed thousands, creating a metropolitan donut pattern that is reshaping school funding across the region.
68,000 White Students Left Florida Schools in Two Years
White enrollment fell 6.9% since 2024, accounting for 86% of the state's total student loss. The decline is three times faster than the pre-COVID rate.
Delaware Lost One Year to COVID, Then Set a Record
Delaware's COVID enrollment dip lasted a single year. The state bounced back 2.4x its losses and hit an all-time high, but Wilmington-area districts never recovered.
Utah's Multiracial Students Doubled in 12 Years
Multiracial enrollment grew 108.5% since 2014, the fastest-growing racial category in Utah schools. But after a decade of gains, growth stalled in 2025.
Oregon's Fastest-Growing Student Group Just Stopped Growing
Multiracial students grew 25.3% in a decade, but 2026 marks the first decline. What the plateau reveals about identity and enrollment forms.
The COVID K Class Hits Third Grade
Grade 3 lost 2,470 students in 2025-26, more than any other grade. The pandemic's kindergarten disruption is now a rolling wave reshaping Maryland schools grade by grade.
Illinois enrollment falls below 1997 levels after a decade of unbroken decline
Illinois has lost 229,000 students since its 2007 peak. Four in five large districts are shrinking. The outer suburbs are the only exception.
72% of Iowa Districts Lost Students in 2026
236 of 329 Iowa school districts lost enrollment in 2025-26, matching the COVID-year share. Four districts have declined every year for 11 straight years.
West Virginia's Kindergarten Classes Have Shrunk 27% Since 2011
Kindergarten enrollment fell 27.2% since 2010-11, far outpacing the state's overall 18.6% decline. The pipeline is collapsing from the bottom up.
Concord Lost One in Five Students Since 2012
New Hampshire's capital city has shed 1,087 students over 15 years, declining in 13 of 14 years. The state's seat of government is shrinking faster than the state itself.
Nebraska's 20-Year Growth Era Ends
Nebraska hit an all-time enrollment high of 330,136 in 2025. Then 1,988 students disappeared, driven by losses in both white and Hispanic enrollment.
NWA Now Educates 1 in 7 Arkansas Students
Four Northwest Arkansas districts grew from 9.8% to 14.2% of state enrollment since 2005, gaining 21,488 students while the Delta lost nearly as many.
Half of Nevada's Districts Never Recovered From COVID
Five years after the pandemic, 26 of 51 Nevada districts remain below 2019 enrollment. Nearly every traditional county district is among them.
In 7 Kentucky Districts, Black Students Attend Better
Seven large districts show Black students with lower chronic absenteeism than white students — a reversal of the national pattern that raises questions about what drives racial attendance gaps.
35 Districts at Record Highs, 38 at Record Lows
Idaho's enrollment split: charter and suburban growth masks accelerating losses at the state's largest and oldest school districts.
A Decade After Act 76, K Still 29% Below Peak
Hawaii's 2014 kindergarten age cutoff change wiped out a third of K enrollment overnight. Ten years later, only 15% of the gap has been recovered.
No Single Majority: White Students Drop Below 50% in Colorado
White students fell below 50% of Colorado public school enrollment for the first time in 2024-25, as the state's demographic transformation reshapes classrooms from Denver suburbs to the Western Slope.
New Mexico's 2026 Enrollment Drop Is the Second-Largest on Record
New Mexico lost 8,333 students in 2025-26, the second-largest annual drop on record, as post-COVID losses now run 2.3 times faster than the old normal.
Boston Hits All-Time Low, Down 30% in Three Decades
Boston Public Schools enrolled 44,416 students in 2026, its lowest total in 33 years of data. The district has lost 19,346 students since its 1998 peak.
Indiana's 2025 Enrollment Rebound Was a Mirage
Indiana lost 11,724 students in 2025-26, erasing last year's surprise gain and pushing enrollment below its pandemic low for the first time.
Three Districts, 10,000 New Students: The Tri-Cities Boom
Pasco and Richland both grew 30% since 2010 while most of Washington lost students. Then all three Tri-Cities districts declined in the same year.
One in 11 South Dakota Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment nearly quadrupled in 17 years, reshaping schools from Huron to Sioux Falls and closing in on Native American enrollment statewide.
Two of Three Oklahoma Districts Lost Students This Year
350 of 539 Oklahoma districts shrank in 2025-26, the broadest non-COVID decline on record, with losses distributed far beyond the largest urban systems.
Nearly 9 in 10 Florida Districts Lost Students in 2026
88% of Florida's regular school districts declined in 2025-26, matching COVID-era breadth without a pandemic. Every size tier lost ground.
Appoquinimink Adds 3,867 Students and Transforms Along the Way
Delaware's fastest-growing district gained 39.9% enrollment in a decade, climbing from sixth- to third-largest while its white share dropped from 64% to 45%.
Jordan Quietly Became Utah's Third-Largest District
After seven years of Granite District losses, Jordan has overtaken its Salt Lake County neighbor for the first time, a crossover that exposes the valley's deepening geographic divide.
Portland Loses 1,213 Students in One Year, Hits 17-Year Low
Portland SD 1J dropped to 42,106 students in 2026, its lowest in at least 17 years, accelerating a decline that has erased all growth since 2010.
Frederick's Growth Streak Breaks After Four Years
Frederick County, Maryland's only large district consistently adding students, lost 123 in 2025-26, joining 22 other districts in decline.
One in Two Illinois Students Is Economically Disadvantaged
Nearly half of Illinois public school students are economically disadvantaged. The rate gap between the richest and poorest districts spans 98 points.
Davenport's 11-Year Freefall: Down 20.6% and Counting
Davenport lost students every year for 11 straight years, shedding 3,325 while neighbors grew. Charters now add pressure.
McDowell County has lost 42% of its students
West Virginia's poorest county lost 1,484 students since 2011, the steepest decline of any county in the state. Kindergarten enrollment has been cut in half.
VLACS Grew 756% While NH Lost 30,000 Students
New Hampshire's virtual charter school grew from 63 to 539 full-time students in 14 years, even as statewide enrollment fell 16%.
Nebraska Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
NDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing Nebraska's first non-pandemic enrollment decline in 20 years.
Arkansas Schools Are 57% White and Falling
White student share has declined every year for two decades in Arkansas, from 69.4% to 56.5%, as Hispanic enrollment surged 162% and the multiracial category grew fivefold.
Nevada's Charter Authority Now Enrolls More Students Than Washoe County
SPCSA's 70,534 students surpass Washoe County's 63,655, making the charter authority Nevada's second-largest school system in a single year.
Louisville's One-in-Three Attendance Problem
JCPS chronic absenteeism dropped to 33.1% but 32,670 students still miss too much school. The Black-white gap reaches 10.4 points.
One Virtual School, 7,504 Students, Zero Classrooms
Idaho Home Learning Academy appeared in 2025 with 7,504 students, a $47.8M budget, and test scores trailing the state by 18 points in math.
Hawaii Ranked 2nd in Academic Recovery. Its Students Still Haven't Come Back.
Every Hawaii county has fewer students than before the pandemic. The post-trough losses since 2021 are nearly double the initial COVID hit.
Colorado Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
CDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 870,793 students statewide — down 10,272, the largest non-COVID loss on record.
Carlsbad Gained 2,156 Students in Five Years, Then Lost 1,719 in Two
New Mexico's Permian Basin oil boom drove Carlsbad enrollment up 32%, then a bust erased most of it. The district is still the state's only large gainer.
Four Years of Recovery, Gone in One
Massachusetts lost 15,442 students in 2025-26, erasing all post-COVID gains and pushing enrollment 10,975 below the pandemic trough to a 31-year low.
Indiana Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
IDOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing an 11,724-student loss that erased last year's rebound and pushed Indiana to a new low.
141,000 Fewer White Students in 16 Years
White enrollment in Washington fell every year since 2010, a decline larger than Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma combined. The pandemic doubled the pace.
South Dakota's 13-Year Growth Streak Is Over
After adding 18,000 students from 2007 to 2019, South Dakota public schools have lost 2,568 from their 2022 peak. The decline quadrupled in 2025.
Tulsa Is Now Oklahoma's Largest District. Both It and OKC Are at All-Time Lows.
Tulsa quietly overtook Oklahoma City in 2022 as the state's largest school district. The lead has widened to 1,346 students, but both are shrinking.
Pinellas: 11 Years of Loss and No Floor in Sight
Pinellas County has lost students every year since 2016, shedding 20,194 in the longest active decline streak in Florida. The losses are accelerating.
One in Ten Delaware Students Now Attends a Charter School
Delaware's charter sector grew 73% in a decade to 15,056 students, nearing the 10% threshold, while traditional schools also gained enrollment.
Salt Lake County's 18,000-Student Exodus
Four urban districts lost 18,061 students since 2019 while Alpine and Jordan held steady, reshaping the Wasatch Front's educational geography.
21,000 Students, 26 Schools, Zero Classrooms
Oregon's 26 virtual charters enroll 21,161 students, nearly matching the COVID peak. The growth is structural, and it is distorting rural district data.
Eleven Districts Hit Record Lows in a Single Year
Eleven of Maryland's 24 school systems hit their lowest enrollment on record in 2025-26, spanning every region from suburban I-95 to rural Appalachia.
Yorkville Doubled. Its Neighbors Did Not.
Yorkville CUSD 115 grew 128% in 20 years while 82% of Illinois districts shrank. Now the district is asking voters for $275 million to keep up.
Seven Iowa School Districts Are Now Majority-Hispanic
Seven Iowa districts now top 50% Hispanic enrollment, up from four in 2015. Meatpacking towns from Postville to Storm Lake drove the shift.
One in Five WV Students Now Receives Special Education
West Virginia's special education rate has climbed to 21.2%, the highest on record, even as the state lost 52,484 students since 2011. The funding formula has not kept up.
86 NH Districts Hit Record Lows
Nearly half of New Hampshire's school districts are at their lowest enrollment ever recorded, including all 10 of the state's largest.
Little Rock Fell from #1 to #3 in Seven Years
Arkansas's capital city district lost 6,774 students since its 2008 peak as Northwest Arkansas boomed and charter schools multiplied.
One in Four: White Students Now a Quarter of Nevada
Nevada lost 35,047 white students since 2019, a 22% decline that accounts for more than the state's entire enrollment drop. In Clark County, white share fell below one in five.
Half of Kentucky's Homeless Students Miss Too Much School
Kentucky's 21,832 students who are currently homeless have a 42.7% chronic absence rate. Foster care students barely improved at all.
Grade 12 Now Tops Kindergarten by 5,132 Students
Idaho's 12th grade enrollment has surged 43.7% since 2002 while kindergarten grew just 13.1%, creating a pipeline imbalance that guarantees years of further decline.
Maui Lost 807 Students in One Year
The Lahaina wildfire accelerated Maui's enrollment decline to its worst single-year loss on record, with the county now down 13% from its 2014 peak.
One in Five NM Students Now in Special Ed
New Mexico's special education rate hit 20.5% in 2025-26, crossing the one-in-five threshold as total enrollment fell 11% since 2019.
Massachusetts Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
DESE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 900,490 students statewide — down 15,442, erasing four years of post-COVID recovery in a single year.
1 in 7 Washington Students Is Now an English Learner
Washington's English learner population nearly doubled in 16 years to 159,472. The growth reshaped suburban districts and agricultural communities alike.
South Dakota Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
SD DOE releases 2024-25 enrollment data showing 138,861 students statewide — down 1,726, the largest single-year loss since the state started growing in 2007.
Oklahoma's Virtual Schools Now Enroll More Students Than Any District Except Two
Seven virtual charter schools serve 37,249 students, 5.4% of statewide enrollment. The sector nearly quadrupled in a decade and claims 1 in 10 high schoolers.
Lee County's 15-Point Demographic Swing
In 11 years, Lee County swung from white-plurality to Hispanic-majority, a 15-point shift that mirrors Florida's broader demographic transformation.
Christina Lost 4,006 Students. The State Grew by 11,546.
Delaware's second-largest district shed 21.8% of its enrollment in a decade while the state hit an all-time high, raising existential questions about its future.
Utah Lost 3,062 English Learners in a Single Year
After a decade of unbroken growth, Utah's English learner enrollment fell 5% in 2026. The data points to reclassification, not departures.
Salem-Keizer Is 1.9 Points From a Hispanic Majority
Oregon's second-largest district lost 7,645 white students in a decade while Hispanic enrollment grew by 2,351, reshaping schools across the Willamette Valley.
Only 4 of 24 Maryland Districts Have Recovered from COVID
Five years after pandemic losses, 20 of Maryland's 24 school systems remain below 2019-20 enrollment. The gap is widening, not closing.
307 Illinois Districts Have Never Been Smaller
307 of 860 trackable Illinois districts are at all-time enrollment lows, outnumbering those at record highs by 6 to 1. The biggest districts are hit hardest.
Iowa Falls Below 500,000 Students for the First Time
Iowa public school enrollment dropped to 496,617 in 2025-26, crossing below 500,000 for the first time. The three-year loss now exceeds the COVID crash.
Forty-Nine of Fifty-Five at All-Time Lows
Only six of West Virginia's 55 county school districts avoided record-low enrollment in 2026. Just one is growing.
Nashua Falls Below 10,000 Students
NH's second-largest district dropped below 10,000 students in 2023 and kept falling, losing 20% of enrollment since 2012 as COVID accelerated the decline.
Three Out of Four Arkansas Districts Still Below Pre-COVID Enrollment
Only 57 of 216 comparable Arkansas districts have recovered to their 2019-20 enrollment levels. The state lost 8,916 students in 2026 alone.
Nevada Loses 27,000 Students as Charter Sector Doubles
Nevada public school enrollment has fallen 5.4% from its 2020 peak while charter schools nearly doubled their share to 14.9%, reshaping the state's education landscape.
86% of Kentucky Districts Hit Best-Ever Attendance
150 of 174 Kentucky districts recorded their lowest chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25. Only six districts got worse.
Boise Has Lost 4,458 Students in Nine Years
Idaho's capital city school district has been shrinking every year since 2017, losing 17% of its enrollment as families move to suburbs and birth rates fall.
Hawaii's Decade-Long Decline Is the Longest on Record
Only one year since 2014 briefly interrupted Hawaii's decline. The state has lost 19,774 students, driven by outmigration, birth declines, and housing.
Albuquerque Has Lost Students for 10 Straight Years
APS fell from 92,152 to 72,573 students over the past decade, accounting for nearly half of New Mexico's total enrollment loss.
Kindergarten Down 16%, and the Worst Is Still Coming
Washington kindergarten enrollment fell 13,609 from its 2020 peak while Grade 12 hit a record 98,754. The pipeline inversion signals decline through 2032.
Fewer Kindergartners Than Seniors for the First Time
Oklahoma enrolled 3,533 fewer kindergartners than 12th graders in 2025-26, a first in at least a decade. The inversion locks in years of continued decline.
Florida Is 214,879 Students Below Where It Should Be
If pre-pandemic growth had continued, Florida would have 3 million public school students. Instead it has 2.79 million, and the gap grew 70% in one year.
Delaware Defies National Decline: 150,591 Students and Counting
Delaware hit an all-time enrollment high in 2024-25, growing 8.3% over a decade while most states shrink. Hispanic and multiracial growth offset white losses.
Salt Lake District Lost One in Five Students in Seven Years
Salt Lake City School District's enrollment fell 21.2% from 2019 to 2026, the steepest decline among Utah's large districts, as gentrification and falling birth rates hollow out the capital's classrooms.
74 Oregon Districts Hit All-Time Enrollment Lows
More than a third of Oregon school districts are at record-low enrollment in 2026, including seven of the state's 10 largest. The decline is accelerating.
Montgomery County Hits All-Time Low: 151,983 Students
MCPS shed 2,808 students in a single year, falling below its 2016 baseline. Declining births and a collapse in newcomer enrollment are converging.
Illinois lost 2,730 students. Without EL growth, it would have lost 22,616.
The smallest enrollment decline in 17 years masks a deeper split: non-EL enrollment is still falling by 30,000 a year while English learner growth papers over the gap.
Des Moines: From 43% to 30% White in 11 Years
Des Moines lost 40% of its white students since 2015 as Hispanic enrollment became the district's largest group, reshaping Iowa's capital city schools.
In 39 of 55 Counties, Multiracial Is Now the Largest Non-White Group
Multiracial enrollment grew nearly ninefold since 2011, overtaking Black students in 2023. West Virginia remains 84% white, but the margins are shifting fast.
COVID Erased Four Years of Decline in a Single Year
New Hampshire lost 8,259 public school students in the 2020-21 COVID year, nearly three times the next-largest annual drop. Five years later, three in four districts have not recovered.
One in 17 Arkansas Students Now Attends a Charter-Like School
Charter and virtual schools tripled their share of Arkansas enrollment in a decade, reaching 5.9% in 2025-26. Two virtual schools alone account for 42% of the sector.
14,000 Students Gone in One Year
Clark County lost 14,451 students in 2025-26, its worst year on record, exceeding even COVID. CCSD faces $50M in cuts and 1,200 staff surpluses.
Kentucky's Racial Attendance Gap Grew Even as Everyone Improved
Black students improved less than white students on chronic absenteeism, widening the gap from 5.5 to 6.6 points. But 7 districts reversed the pattern entirely.
A Single Reclassification Doubled Idaho's Charter Sector
Idaho's charter enrollment jumped 53% in a single year when a virtual school converted from traditional to charter status, masking a brick-and-mortar plateau.
One in 13 Hawaii Students Now Attends a Charter School
Charter enrollment hit a record 13,094 while traditional schools fell to a 15-year low, widening a divergence that accelerated during the pandemic.
New Mexico Falls Below 300,000 Students
New Mexico enrolled 298,353 public school students in 2025-26, crossing below 300,000 for the first time after losing 41,260 students over a decade.
Seattle Spent a Decade Building. Six Years Erased It.
Seattle added 9,000 students over a decade, then lost 5,153 since 2020. A shrinking kindergarten pipeline and $87M budget gap signal structural decline.
Oklahoma City Lost Nearly a Third of Its Students in a Decade
OKCPS dropped from 45,577 to 31,104 students since 2016, losing its No. 1 ranking to Tulsa and closing 32 campuses as virtual charters and suburbs absorbed families.
Miami-Dade Lost 35,865 Students in Nine Years
Miami-Dade shed 14,325 students in 2025-26, the biggest single-year drop in its history, as foreign-born registrations collapsed 82%.
Three in Four Delaware Districts Are Now Majority-Minority
In a decade, Delaware went from 41% to 77% majority-minority districts as white enrollment dropped 8 percentage points and Hispanic enrollment surged 45%.
One in Eight Utah Students Now Attends a Charter School
Charter enrollment grew 4.2% while traditional districts lost 14,955 students in 2026, the starkest sector divergence in Utah's history.
Oregon's White Student Share Falls Below 57%
White enrollment fell 59,505 in a decade, accelerating post-COVID. Oregon is on track for a majority-minority K-12 system by 2037.
Maryland's 66,000-Student Ghost Class
Maryland enrolls 66,244 fewer students than pre-COVID trends predicted. The gap grew by 16,171 in one year, and 23 of 24 districts lost students.
Chicago lost 49,522 Black students in 12 years
Black enrollment in Illinois fell 16.7% since 2013, with Chicago Public Schools accounting for more than four-fifths of the decline.
Iowa Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
Iowa DOE releases 2025-26 certified enrollment data showing a 7,670-student loss, Iowa's worst non-COVID year and a breach below 500,000.
Kanawha County hits all-time low after losing 6,400 students
West Virginia's largest district has declined every year since 2014. The 2026 loss of 997 students was the worst single year on record.
NH Charter Enrollment Grows 469% in 15 Years
NH charter schools grew from 10 schools and 1,097 students to 35 schools and 6,242 since 2012. Traditional districts lost 35,628 students.
Arkansas Lost More Students This Year Than COVID Took
Arkansas enrollment fell by 8,916 students in 2025-26, the largest single-year drop on record and 39% larger than the COVID-year loss, as vouchers and falling birth rates converge.
Nevada Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
NDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 9,251-student loss, the largest non-COVID decline in state history, as charters double their share.
Eastern Kentucky's Attendance Crisis Persists
14 Appalachian districts still exceed 40% chronic absenteeism despite dramatic improvement. Harlan County leads at 51.6%.
Idaho's Growth Era Is Over
After 18 years of growth adding 65,807 students, Idaho enrollment has fallen three straight years. The 2026 drop of 3,970 is the steepest on record.
Honolulu Has Lost More Students Than Maui Has Total
Honolulu County enrollment has fallen every year since 2014, losing 18,210 students in an 11-year streak driven by housing costs and out-migration.
Native American Students Fall Below 10% of NM Enrollment
Native American students fell below 10% of New Mexico enrollment for the first time, dropping to 9.9% as the state lost 5,602 since 2020.
Washington Lost 9,099 Students and Three Years of Progress
After three years of post-COVID recovery, Washington's K-12 enrollment reversed course in 2025-26, dropping by the most since the pandemic year itself.
Oklahoma Lost More Students This Year Than During COVID
Oklahoma's 10,640-student drop in 2025-26 is the largest single-year loss in the dataset, surpassing the pandemic. The state is now 7,395 students below its COVID floor.
Hispanic Students Are Now Florida's Largest Group
Hispanic students overtook white students as the largest racial group in Florida public schools in 2023. By 2026 the gap is 5.3 points, but a sharp reversal hints at trouble.
Delaware Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
DDOE releases 2024-25 enrollment data showing 150,591 students statewide, an all-time high, up 1,267 from the prior year.
Granite Became Majority-Minority. Nobody Announced It.
Granite District quietly became majority-minority as white enrollment fell from 50.2% to 42.9%, while the district lost nearly 10,000 students.
Salem-Keizer's 8-Year Freefall Puts #2 Ranking at Risk
Salem-Keizer SD has lost 5,257 students since 2018, hitting an all-time low of 36,661. Beaverton is just 93 students behind.
Maryland Lost 9,385 Students in a Single Year
After three years of apparent stabilization, Maryland's public schools lost more students in 2025-26 than in any year except the first year of COVID.
CPS Gains 3,278 Students. It Is Still Missing 88,000.
Back-to-back enrollment gains at CPS are driven almost entirely by English learner growth. The district remains 21% below its 2005 level.
West Virginia Loses 7,693 Students in a Single Year
The 2025-26 school year delivered West Virginia's second-largest enrollment drop ever, eclipsed only by the pandemic. Fifty-two of 55 counties lost students.
Manchester Has Lost Nearly a Quarter of Its Students
New Hampshire's largest district fell from 15,536 to 11,712 students over 14 years, closing schools as per-pupil costs soar.
After 21 Years of Growth, Hispanic Enrollment Falls for the First Time
Arkansas's Hispanic student population declined by 1,157 in 2025-26 after two decades of unbroken growth, with losses concentrated in the NWA poultry corridor.
Kentucky's Attendance Recovery Picks Up Speed
Kentucky's chronic absenteeism dropped from 30% to 25% in two years, but one in four students still misses too much school and the pre-COVID baseline remains distant.
Nine Students Changed Idaho's Largest District
West Ada overtook Boise by 9 students in 2003. Twenty-three years later, the gap has exploded to 16,202 as suburban sprawl reshapes the Treasure Valley.
For First Time, Hawaii Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners
Hawaii's K-to-G12 ratio fell below 100% in 2025, a historic inversion driven by a 2014 age cutoff change that permanently shrank kindergarten classes.
Gallup Loses a Quarter of Its Students in One Year
A virtual school contract termination stripped 3,342 students from Gallup-McKinley County Schools, exposing how phantom enrollment masked real decline.
White Students Now 47% of Washington's Schools
White enrollment fell below 50% in 2022 and keeps dropping. Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian growth reshaped the state over 16 years.
Epic Charter: The School That Swallowed Oklahoma
Epic Charter Schools grew from 6,037 students to 59,445 in five years, becoming Oklahoma's largest district. Then came the scandal, the collapse, and 500 layoffs.
66,756 Students Gone: Florida's Enrollment Cliff Matches COVID
Florida public schools lost 66,756 students in 2025-26, just 616 fewer than the COVID-era drop. Unlike 2021, there is no pandemic to blame.
Utah Lost 18,340 Students in Three Years
After a decade of steady growth, Utah K-12 enrollment peaked in 2023 and has since fallen 2.7%, with the 2026 drop the largest in 25 years.
Oregon Loses 9,262 Students in a Single Year
Oregon lost 9,262 students in 2026, nearly four times the prior year's loss, pushing K-12 enrollment to an all-time low of 535,826.
Maryland Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
MSDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 9,385-student statewide drop, the largest non-COVID decline in the past decade.
Illinois enrollment nears a plateau after losing 136,000 students
Illinois lost 135,959 students in six years but the decline is decelerating. English learners grew by 83,371 even as overall enrollment fell.
The Hope Scholarship Shadow: 21,000 Fewer Students in Four Years
West Virginia lost 21,253 public school students since the Hope Scholarship launched. Decline nearly doubled; 49 of 55 counties hit all-time lows.
No State Shrank Faster Than New Hampshire
NH public schools shed 30,483 students since 2012, a 16% decline. The Josiah Bartlett Center ranks it as the steepest percentage drop in the nation.
Nine Delta Districts Lost 55% of Their Students
Nine Arkansas Delta school districts have shed 13,769 students since 2005, with Helena-West Helena down 69% and five districts below 1,000 students.
Kentucky Publishes 2024-25 Chronic Absenteeism Data
KDE releases 2024-25 chronic absenteeism data showing a 25.0% statewide rate, down nearly 5 points in two years but still 7 points above the pre-COVID baseline.
Idaho Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
Idaho SDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 3,970-student decline, the steepest drop in 25 years of records.
Hawaii Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
HIDOE releases 2024-25 enrollment data showing 167,076 students statewide, down 2,232, continuing the state's near-unbroken decline since 2014.
New Mexico Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
NM PED releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 298,353 students statewide — below 300,000 for the first time, down 8,333 from the prior year.
Washington Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
OSPI releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 9,099-student loss that erased three years of post-COVID recovery.
Oklahoma Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
OSDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 686,718 students statewide — down 10,640, the largest single-year loss on record.
Florida Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
FDOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing Florida lost 66,756 students in a single year, nearly matching the COVID-era decline.
Utah Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
USBE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing an 11,479-student loss, Utah's largest single-year decline in 25 years.
Oregon Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
ODE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing Oregon lost 9,262 students, its steepest non-pandemic drop on record.
Illinois Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
ISBE releases 2024-25 enrollment data showing 1,848,560 students — a ninth consecutive year of decline and the state's lowest enrollment in two decades.
West Virginia Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
WVDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 229,646 students statewide — down 7,693, the largest non-pandemic loss on record.
New Hampshire Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
NH DOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 160,322 students statewide, down 2,337 from the prior year.
Arkansas Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
ADE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 465,421 students statewide — down 8,916, the largest single-year loss on record.
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