California is experiencing a significant increase in school closures as a persistent decline in student enrollment impacts districts across the state. This year, more than 19,000 students are affected by campus shutdowns.
The state's public school enrollment dropped by 1.3% during the 2025-26 school year, representing a decrease of nearly 75,000 students, according to EdSource. This marks the largest annual decline since the 2021-22 academic year. School funding in California is largely tied to attendance, which forces districts to make difficult decisions when student numbers fall while operating costs remain high.
This enrollment decrease is not a recent phenomenon. The trend began around 2016 and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the declining student population, school closures were infrequent until recently. In 2025, 79 schools were closed, and as of July of the current year, 73 schools have already shut down.
"It’s been on the downward trend since I started. It’s never been drastic from one year to the next, but when you add up the numbers … that adds up over time," said William Chavez, a social studies teacher in Los Angeles.
Michael Kirst, a Stanford professor emeritus and former president of the California State Board of Education, noted that the issue is widespread. "This is happening everywhere," Kirst told SFGATE. "There are very few districts that aren’t experiencing it."
Several factors contribute to the enrollment decline. Families are leaving California or relocating to more affordable areas within the state. Additionally, changes in immigration enforcement and a substantial decrease in birth rates are playing a role. California's fertility rate has fallen significantly, from 2.21 children per woman in 2007 to 1.48 in 2023, which is below the 2.1 replacement level needed for a stable population, according to the Public Policy Institute of America. The decline in births is partly attributed to a sharp drop in teen births and a decrease among women in their 20s, a trend that has not been fully offset by an increase in births among women aged 35 and older. While birth rates have fallen nationwide since 2008, California's decline has been steeper than the national average.
UC Irvine sociology professor Paul Hanselman suggested that the Great Recession, which saw birth rates peak around 2008 before declining, is a key factor. "There’s a lot of explanations, but economic explanations in terms of challenges of having kids is a big part of the story, and it doesn’t feel like we’ve gone back," Hanselman said.
High housing costs in California exacerbate the problem, making it difficult for families with children to afford living in the state, particularly in urban centers, Kirst added.
Los Angeles Unified has been particularly affected, closing 14 schools after losing approximately 16,765 students in one year. San Jose Unified closed five schools after a 22.5% enrollment drop since the 2015-16 school year, and Oakland Unified also closed five schools following an 8.7% enrollment decrease.
The schools being closed often serve vulnerable student populations. Test scores at these closed schools were about 14% below the statewide average in English and math. Furthermore, 73% of students at these schools came from low-income households, compared to 62.5% statewide.
Despite the enrollment challenges, the situation could present an opportunity for districts. California's average class size in 2025 was approximately 21 students, compared to 15 nationally. With fewer students, districts might be able to reduce overcrowding and provide more individualized attention to students. California schools are currently operating with record levels of state funding, with Governor Gavin Newsom's final budget allocating about $128 billion from the general fund. However, this funding cannot counteract the demographic shifts leading to empty classrooms.