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The number of public school students in New York City has declined by approximately 187,000 over the past 12 years, largely due to a decline in school-age children and the migration of families; Numbers are likely to continue to decline in the future, but demand for special education and disadvantaged students is increasing.
The New York City Comptroller’s Office released a report on the 29th stating that the number of students in the city’s public kindergarten through 12th grade declined by 19% between the 2013-14 and 2025-26 school years, a decrease of approximately 187,000 students. Last school year, another 21,793 students were lost, a 3% year-over-year decrease.pandemic The biggest annual decline since then.
This is what the report believespublic school This decline primarily reflects the low number of school-age children citywide, not the mass transfer of students to charters, private schools, or homeschooling. Declines in the number of births, migration of families with children, and changes in the immigrant population can all affect student numbers.
Between the 2020–21 and 2025–26 school years, the city’s public, charter and private school students are projected to decline by a combined 81,506. During the same period, charter schools increased by about 11,300 students, while private schools decreased by 6,841 students. The number of homeschoolers quadrupled in the last decade, reaching 13,079 students, but still made up about 1% of the city’s students.
Comptroller Mark Levin said the enrollment decline is not only an education issue, but also reflects the cost of living in New York and the ability of young families to stay in the city long-term. “Student needs are also changing. We must understand the trends and put resources where they are needed most.”
every one in the cityschool District The overall number of students is declining, with larger declines in Upper Manhattan, the Lower East Side, parts of the Bronx, and Central Brooklyn (Brooklyn). The proportion of public school students is highest in Queens’ School Districts 25 and 26, which include areas with Chinese populations such as Flushing, White Rock, Bayside, and Little Neck.
The migration of students is most pronounced when the fifth grade of elementary school transfers to the sixth grade of junior high school, with an average decrease of 5%; By sixth grade, the number of students in the same class is 15% smaller than when they entered kindergarten, indicating that some families are leaving the city’s public schools or moving out of New York when choosing junior high schools.
The ethnic composition of students has also changed. The proportion of African-American students fell from 26% to 19%, the proportion of Asian students increased from 16% to 19%, the proportion of Hispanic students increased slightly from 41% to 42%, and the proportion of whites increased from 15% to 16%.
The total number of students in public schools has declined, but the number of students needing extra support has increased. The number of students with disabilities increased by 19,232 over the past 12 years, and their proportion increased from 19% to 24%; Currently the number of English learners is around 15%. It is estimated that approximately 73% of students are in financial difficulty, and 135,000 of them, or 14%, live in temporary housing or face homelessness.
The Municipal School Building Construction Bureau estimates that by the 2034–35 school year, the number of public school students could decline by another 128,000. The report suggests that when the city government adjusts school size, budget, curriculum and special education resources, it must take into account two trends of declining students and increasing complex needs.
Summary FAQ
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The Office of the Comptroller General believes that population decline is the main cause, including low birth rates, migration of families with children, and changes in immigration; The student loss is not primarily due to large numbers transferring to charters, private schools, or homeschooling.
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Between the 2013–14 and 2025–26 school years, the number of public kindergarten through 12th grade students in New York City will decline by 19%, a decrease of approximately 187,000 students. There was a decline of 21,793 students last school year, a 3% year-over-year decline, the largest decline since the pandemic.
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Over the past 12 years, the number of students with disabilities has increased by 19,232, which is 24%; The number of English learners is about 15%; It is estimated that approximately 73% of students are in financial difficulties, and 135,000 live in temporary housing or face homelessness.
