NYC Public Schools Face Alarming Enrollment Decline Amid Rising Costs

Enrollment in New York City public schools has seen a sharp decline, shedding nearly 22,000 students in the last year alone, according to a report released Thursday by City Comptroller Mark Levine. This marks the steepest drop since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the 2013-14 school year, the number of K-12 students in the city has plummeted by 19%, totaling nearly 187,000 students. Projections indicate a continued decline, with an estimated loss of another 128,000 students over the next decade, attributed in part to falling birth rates. The city's high cost of living is also cited as a significant factor.

"Declining school enrollment is not only a challenge for our education system – it raises fundamental questions about affordability, the ability of young families to build a future in New York and the kind of city we want to be," Levine stated.

Concurrently, the New York City Department of Education is spending approximately $44,000 per student, a figure higher than any other large school district in the nation. This increased spending occurs despite mediocre to poor performance on standardized math and reading tests. Recent state exams show that only half of public school students in grades 3-8 scored proficient in English Language Arts, a six-point decrease. In mathematics, 43% of students failed to achieve proficiency, with just 57% scoring proficient.

The comptroller's analysis revealed that the 2025-26 school year saw a 3% drop in enrollment, or 21,793 students. The city's education system is serving a greater proportion of students with special needs, non-English speakers, and those experiencing housing insecurity, with 14% of students in temporary housing.

The demographic makeup of the student body has also shifted, with the share of Black students decreasing from 26% in 2014 to 19% currently. The most significant enrollment drop occurred between 5th and 6th grade, coinciding with middle school placement decisions.

Enrollment in charter schools has also slowed, increasing by no more than 4% annually in recent years, partly due to a state cap limiting the opening of new charter schools. Despite an expansion of early childhood education programs like pre-K and 3-K, which saw an increase of nearly 40,000 students since 2013-14, overall enrollment has fallen from over 1 million to under 885,000 students.

Levine has previously noted that 219 schools currently have fewer than 200 students, impacting their ability to offer extracurricular activities and advanced courses. He has suggested that school consolidation may be necessary.

While charter schools historically drew students from traditional public schools, their growth has plateaued. Enrollment in private schools has also decreased since the 2020-21 school year, and the number of homeschooled students has quadrupled over the past decade, reaching 13,079 last year.

Approximately 15% of current NYC public school students are non-native English speakers, and 14% face housing insecurity. The report emphasizes the need to understand these trends to better allocate resources and support students facing economic hardship.

A spokesperson for Chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged the national trend of declining birth rates impacting New York City and stated the Department of Education is engaging with communities to address the issue. The administration is also working to address affordability concerns to retain families within the city.