From 2002 through 2023, student enrollment declined 7.3 percent in Wisconsin, from 875,592 students to 811,661. That was compared to a 1.3 percent decline nationally during the same period, according to the Policy Forum.
Reasons for the decline are multi-faceted, said Mike Johnson, superintendent of the Eau Claire Area School District.
“I think the factors include lower birth rates and more choices for students,” Johnson said.
In the last two years, two independent charter schools opened in the Eau Claire area. Johnson said that has resulted in 60 elementary school students leaving the district.
DPI released its public school enrollment numbers last week. The state is expected to release enrollment numbers for private and charter schools in the coming weeks.
This year, the Eau Claire school district has 10,533 students, down almost 9 percent from 2019 when there were 12,523 students enrolled. Those declines have budget implications, as state aid to schools is calculated based on enrollment.
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