Education Fact: Public School Enrollment Falls Across PA

Across the state, public school enrollment continued its long, downward trend with a 2.9% decrease since 2007-08.  This isn’t surprising when you realize that Pennsylvania has been a low population-growth state for 30-40 years.  Of all the states that had any positive population growth in 2013, Pennsylvania came in dead last with the addition of only 9,326 people.

Across the state, public school enrollment continued its long, downward trend with a 2.9% decrease since 2007-08.  This isn’t surprising when you realize that Pennsylvania has been a low population-growth state for 30-40 years.  Of all the states that had any positive population growth in 2013, Pennsylvania came in dead last with the addition of only 9,326 people.[1]  We also have one of the oldest populations. The 2010 Census showed that among states Pennsylvania had the 4th highest percentage of its population over age 65 (15.4%), and the 3rd highest percentage of its population over age 85 (2.5%).[2]

 

On the regional level, we see some differences in how this low growth has affected public school enrollment.  While all regions have experienced a net loss of students since 2007-08, some have fared worse than others:

• Regions 4 and 8, in the northeastern and north central parts of the state, had the highest losses, 7% and 8.5%, respectively.
• Only one region had losses of less than 2%: Region 1, in the southeastern corner, saw losses of 1.1%.

 

At the county level you see that:

he   The bottom five counties for student enrollment all had losses greater than 15%:

• Cameron: 23.4%

• Forest: 15.7%

• Monroe: 15.6%

• Pike: 16.2%

• Susquehanna: 15.1%

·         Only three counties gained students:

• Chester (6.5%)

• Montgomery (1.0%)

• York (0.5%) 

The losses across the state in public school enrollment reflect the reality that fewer people are moving to or remaining in Pennsylvania, and the population is aging.  Because people generally move to where the jobs are, and we need a younger and educated workforce to provide for our elderly, strengthening our economy must be a top priority.  Providing the funding necessary to ensure a quality public education will help our state develop, attract and retain talent.  Restoring funding to our public schools will lay the cornerstone of a strong economy with ripple effects far beyond the classroom.

You can read more about public school enrollment on the Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center’s Education Facts webpage.