DENVER (KDVR) — The official count from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) shows that enrollment dropped this year for the first time in more than 30 years.
Preschool through fifth grade enrollment saw the largest decline.
According to enrollment data, preschool was down by 8.009 students (23.3%) and kindergarten was down by 5,800 (9.1%). First through fifth grade enrollment had 113,833 fewer students, a 4.2% decrease.
The last time Colorado schools saw an enrollment drop was in 1988.
The CDE says there are a total of 883,199 students attending preschool through grade 12 in Colorado. That’s down 30,024 from last year’s data, or 3.3%.
The number of students being homeschooled more than doubled since 2019. A total of 15,773 students enrolled this year compared to 7,880 in 2019.
Online educational programs reported 32,034 students registered this year, a 43% increase. A total of 9,586 more students are enrolled than in 2019.
Follow this link to access the complete 2020-21 school year student count information.