Updated data suggests despite D.C’s slowing population growth, school enrollment still expected to increase­

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2019

CONTACT:

Chelsea Coffin, Director, Education Policy Initiative

Updated data suggests despite D.C’s slowing population growth, school enrollment still expected to increase­

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Released today, an updated report using new data from 2018 indicates that despite the District of Columbia’s slowdown in population growth, enrollment is expected to continue to increase, as births have stabilized in recent years and children are enrolling in public schools at higher rates.

Population growth in the District of Columbia is slowing and migration patterns are changing. While D.C.’s growth used to be driven in part by domestic migration, the District’s current population gains are propelled entirely by new births and international immigration.

A September 2018 D.C. Policy Center report, Will Children of Current Millennials Become Future Public School Students?, projected ten-year growth of 21,100 more students after school year 2016-17 (this projection was aligned with DME and ODCA projections released around the same time).

The updated data comes just as the D.C. Public Charter School Board is voting to approve or deny charter school applications. Some have questioned whether the city can accommodate more schools given existing schools and enrollment patterns.

Updated data indicate that despite the slowdown in population growth, enrollment is expected to continue to increase as births have stabilized in recent years and children are enrolling in public schools at higher rates.

However, future enrollment growth relies heavily on enrollment increasing faster in higher grades. Quality school options must continue to attract and retain students from pre-kindergarten throughout high school in order to realize the full amount of projected growth.

UPDATED REPORT: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/enrollment-still-expected-to-increase-despite-slower-population-growth-in-d-c/

ORIGINAL SEPTEMBER 2018 REPORT: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/future-public-school-students-report/

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