OLYMPIA, Wash.-Fall enrollment in Washington’s Public Schools is up by almost 2,000 students compared to the fall of 2022.
According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the largest increases over the last year are in the 2nd grade (6.3% increase), Running Start (4.3% increase), 11th grade (3.3% increase), and 5th grade (1.7% increase).
“While our enrollments are continuing to climb, they aren’t yet where they were before the pandemic, and many of our school districts are making tough financial decisions as a result,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal.
Student enrollment has an impact on the amount of state funds that school districts receive to serve their students with dedicated staff, supplies, and other operating costs, according to OSPI.
To reengage students who disconnected from school or who are at-risk of disconnecting from school, OSPI invested federal emergency relief funds in the Attendance and Reengagement Program during the 2022–23 school year.
According to OSPI, the Attendance and Reengagement Program has served over 8,000 students across Washington state with direct one-on-one support, relationship building, accessing community resources, and supporting students to remain engaged in school or to re-enroll.
