California’s schools are closing at an alarming rate.
More than 19,000 California students are facing a very different back-to-school season this year after their schools closed amid a yearslong enrollment decline that is putting the squeeze on districts across the state.
California’s public school enrollment fell by 1.3% during the 2025–26 school year, meaning nearly 75,000 fewer students were enrolled. It was the biggest annual drop since 2021–22 according to EdSource.
For school districts, fewer kids mean fewer dollars. California largely ties school funding to attendance, leaving districts scrambling when enrollment shrinks while many of their operating costs stubbornly refuse to budge.
And the decline isn’t exactly a blip.
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