Maryland public schools shrank this year — and state leaders are trying to understand why the decline was so steep.
The downturn matters because Maryland schools are funded based on the number of children they serve. Fewer children mean less money and the threat of cutting teachers, closing schools and canceling programs.
Some of the data is straightforward: Public school enrollment clearly took a nosedive this year, with more than 11,000 fewer children attending its campuses.
All but one school district, Kent County, saw a decrease in enrollment this year. Montgomery County — the state’s largest district — experienced a notable 2% decline.
The most obvious reason for the dip is the state’s declining birth rate, part of a national trend. Fewer babies mean fewer kindergartners to replace graduating seniors.
Maryland has also seen a notable increase in homeschooling since the pandemic.
Perhaps the most difficult factor to quantify is the impact of federal immigration policy on schools. Campus leaders and researchers across the country have warned of a chilling effect, with families fearful of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity near schools.
Public campuses are required to educate all children, regardless of a family’s immigration status.
There are some early indicators that Maryland schools are educating fewer students from immigrant families. Consider Montgomery County, a district where growth has long been tied to its large foreign-born population.
At the start of the school year, MCPS welcomed just over 100 students who were new to the country, fewer than half as many as during the same time period in previous years.
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