DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s public schools have the least enrolled students in a decade after a second-straight year of declining numbers.

Enrollment has largely been declining for the past four years, according to the Colorado Department of Education, which reported that since 2020, enrollment has decreased every year but 2021. Additionally, in October 2020, there was a historic drop in enrollment as COVID-19 cases soared.

CDE reported that in October 2023, there were 881,464 students enrolled in the state’s schools. That’s 1,800 fewer than in October 2022. The last time Colorado had this few of students was in 2013 when CDE reported 876,999 students.

Where is enrollment decreasing the most?

The Colorado Department of Education pointed to pre-kindergarten to first grade as the largest decrease in enrolling students. For the 2023-2024 school year, the department said there were 3,691 fewer students than in 2022-2023.

However, a similar-size decrease occurred in those grade levels during the 2022-2023 school year.

First grade had the highest overall decrease, with enrollment declining 3.91%, or by 2,478 students compared to 2022 enrollment numbers.

Kindergarten had a slower decline but still had a 1.79% decrease, or 1,068 fewer students than in 2022.

Data provided by the Colorado Department of Education. (Pupil counts by year)

“Public school systems across the country are experiencing declines in student enrollment, particularly in the early grades,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova in a press release. “We know that pre-kindergarten and kindergarten are where students build critical foundations for life-long academic success including language development, early literacy, and social skills.”

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey, there were an estimated 305,063 children under five in Colorado in 2022. In 2019, there were an estimated 327,302 children under 5 years old in Colorado. These numbers point to lower populations of possible pre-kindergarten to first-grade students in the state.

However, other avenues could be lowering public school enrollment numbers.

Students counted as homeschooled full-time increased by 8.44% to 9,406 students

Students registered in online educational programs increased by 3.48% to 31,839

However, students enrolled in charter schools decreased by 1.81% to 135,223. Additionally, 113 of the state’s 178 school districts, two Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind reported drops in enrollment.

“Even as our state is experiencing demographic shifts that will impact student enrollment for years to come, we are encouraged by the state’s commitment to early learning through the Colorado Universal Preschool Program,” Cordova said in the release.

She said nearly 50,000 3 and 4-year-olds are enrolled in the Colorado Universal Preschool program that launched in the fall of 2023 through the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

Not all enrollment demographics are down

Some enrollment demographics are up significantly. Second grade student enrollment rose 5.04%, or by 3,078 students, to reach 64,118 second-graders across the state.

Data provided by the Colorado Department of Education (Pupil counts by grade).

Fourth grade also had a rise in enrollment at 1.5%; as did 11th grade with a 1.54% increase, or 1,046 students; and 12th grade with a 2.3% increase, or 1,643 more students enrolled compared to 2022.

Detention centers also had a rise in enrollments with 10 new students for a total of 175, or a 6.06% increase. In fact, 65 Colorado school districts, four Board of Cooperative Educational Services and Colorado’s detention centers all reported increased or flat enrollment.

During the October enrollment count, student demographics showed 7,526 fewer white students in 2023, a decline of 1.66%. The number of students identifying as American Indians or Alaska Natives also declined by 127 students (2.32%).

However, Colorado’s percentage of multiracial students increased by 3.39%, and students identifying as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander increased by 9.18%.

Metro school district shows large enrollment drops

Several Denver metro area and Boulder County school districts reported drops in enrollment, including:

Jefferson County, 1.18% decrease or 906 students

Douglas County, 1.44% decrease or 908 students

Cherry Creek School District, 1% decrease or 529 students

Adams 12 Five Star Schools, 2.1% decrease or 749 students

St. Vrain Valley School District, 0.41% decrease or 133 students

Poudre School District, 0.63% decrease or 191 students

Boulder Valley School District, 0.44% decrease or 125 students.

Both Aurora and Denver schools reported increases in their overall enrollment, 0.25% or 97 students for Aurora Public Schools; and 0.42% or 371 students for Denver Public Schools.