Florida public school student numbers drop since the COVID-19 pandemic
Florida has five of the nation’s 10 largest school districts based on enrollment.
Miami-Dade County ranks third in the latest figures, with more than 335,000 students. Holding down spots six through nine are Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Palm Beach counties, recently released federal data shows.
The numbers also reflect a trend away from public schools. Though they remain the largest form of education, most of the nation’s largest school districts have seen their enrollments decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nine of the top 10 districts experienced dips, some as high as 13%. Among the Florida group, Broward had the biggest slide, at 6.6%, while Hillsborough was the outlier with 0.4% increase. Read more from Ed Surge.
The reduction in students has led several school districts to explore moves including campus closures. On Wednesday, the Broward County school board ended a year of debate by deciding to close one under-enrolled school and convert three others to K-8 campuses, the Miami Herald reports.
Florida public school student numbers drop since the COVID-19 pandemic