NYC Public Schools spared major enrollment decline in 2024

The number of students enrolled in New York City public schools slipped this year by just 0.1%, according to preliminary enrollment data released by the city’s education department Friday.

About 911,000 students registered for classes this fall, including in preschool and K-12 programs. It is the second school year in a row the city largely avoided the dramatic enrollment declines that plagued its school system during the pandemic.

Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos in a statement described the figures as “a testament to the continued efforts by this administration and our schools to provide a world class education to every child.”

Last fall, enrollment ticked upward by 0.6%, according to audited data — the first increase in eight years amid declining birth rates, families leaving the city during an affordable housing crisis, and choosing nonpublic school options. The boost was largely driven by an influx of migrant students, which translates into more per-pupil funding for schools.

This year, broken down by program, approximately 814,700 students registered for K-12 classes, down a couple hundred students from the school year before, according to the report. Another 55,000 were signed up for public pre-K, plus 41,300 students in 3-K programs.

The slight enrollment decline comes as the school system phases in a state mandate to lower class sizes in the city.

Data released Friday showed 46% of classes are in compliance with the law. By next fall, 60% will need to meet the caps, which range between 20 and 25 students per classroom, depending on grade level.

Aviles-Ramos said the school system is “exceeding” the requirements laid out in the law for this school year. Last month, she announced a new incentive-based program that allocates additional dollars to schools that start lowering their class sizes next fall.

“This is a direct result of our dedicated planning and the strategic resources we’ve put in place to reduce class sizes,” she said.