CT school population shrinking at faster rate than in 48 states

Connecticut is expected to have the nation’s second-largest proportional decline in public school students over the next 10 years, the U.S. Department of Education reported Friday.

The anticipated decline — 14.2 percent — would mean an estimated 77,600 fewer students will be attending elementary or secondary schools by 2025, and about 2,100 fewer students will be graduating high school each year. Only New Hampshire is expected to have a larger proportional decline during the same period, with an estimated drop of 14.6 percent. (There is a 3.7 margin of error.)

Nationwide, the student population is expected to increase by 2.7 percent, the report said. In the Northeast, enrollment is projected to decrease by 4.8 percent.

Connecticut has seen a steady decrease of 36,000 students attending public schools over the last decade – a 6 percent decline. This report, shows the declines are accelerating and will continue to encompass all grades.

The huge decrease in high school students is likely to affect the state’s public colleges and universities since recent in-state graduates are the largest share of new enrollments.

Read the full report from U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics here.