BPS 2022-23 Enrollment analysis

 

Boston Public Schools continues to grapple with long-term enrollment decline, accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we outline in this report, enrollment decline is a persistent challenge across student groups, neighborhoods and schools in Boston. The problem is not going away, and it has real ramifications for children, schools, and the district as a whole.

We seek to make this information public and accessible, so all city stakeholders can grapple with what we must do moving forward. We also share recommendations for next steps to provide the best possible education for BPS students. 

Key Takeaways from BSF’s 2022-23 Boston Enrollment Analysis

  • Enrollment in BPS has declined by -15.3% (8,299) since 2014, declines which accelerated during the pandemic.

  • Enrollment declined for an 8th straight year, and did not "bounce-back" to pre-pandemic levels this year; however, enrollment declined at a much lower rate this year (0.4%) than last year (4%).

  • Over the last five years:

    • All Boston neighborhoods except for Hyde Park and Central experienced enrollment loss 

    • BPS lost 2,829 Black students, more than half of the district’s overall enrollment decline in that time

    • The concentration of students with high needs in BPS increased (to 81.1%), driven by an increased number of low-income students, at least partially due to the broader definition the state is using to classify low-income students

    • Enrollment declined in every grade except Pre-K, with early grades and key entry grades (K, 1, 2, 3, 7, & 9) each declining by more than 19% 

    • The majority (62.4%) of BPS schools lost enrollment, with the average school losing 4.7% of its enrollment

    • Enrollment is down 8.6% across the city, but is largely localized in BPS; other school types (charter, METCO, private, etc.) have seen less severe decline or slight gains.

  • BPS Enrollment decline reflects key demographic shifts in Boston

    • Migration and birth rates have hit 10-year lows, leaving Boston with far fewer children than it used to have

    • Kindergarten enrollment has fallen considerably over the last decade; as the best predictor of K-12 enrollment, smaller kindergarten cohorts will mean a smaller district overall

  • Enrollment decline has left BPS with many underutilized buildings. BPS schools have the capacity for 6,938 more students than currently enrolled, which is equivalent to 16.5 school buildings of average BPS size.