Changes in public school enrollment: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic

Shaun M. Dougherty, Hannah C. Kistler and Yerin Yoon

Chapter Chapter 17 in Handbook on Inequality and COVID-19, 2025, pp 278-295 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Early coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools and learning suggested that there were large declines in public school enrollment. Much of the initial scholarship to understanding declines in school participation necessarily made use of local or state data to get an early grasp of the magnitude and source of these impacts. With persistent reductions in school enrollment relative to the pre-pandemic period remaining a concern, this chapter seeks to understand what factors explain changes in enrollment. We use national data on school-level enrollment to highlight the correlates of reductions in school enrollment and the extent to which they may have the potential to exacerbate inequality. Reductions in school enrollment were more pronounced in schools with fewer financial resources and eligible for federal Title-I funding. Title-I schools in cities were most profoundly struck. The largest enrollment drops were at school entry, but also show up in 6th and 9th grades where students often experience school transitions. Our results suggest that not only may individual students and families be adversely impacted by delayed school entry or reduced time in school, but there may also be a lagging negative effect on school finances in these already less fiscally resourced communities.

Keywords: COVID-19; Schools: Learning; School enrollment; School finances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035302758
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