Public School Enrollment Drops by 1.4 Million Students, Posing Financial Challenges for Big Cities

A student waits at the building entrance of Middletown High School after dismissal in Middletown, N.Y., on Sept. 20, 2022. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

Enrollment in U.S. public schools saw a one-year drop of 1.4 million students in the fall of 2020, hitting a 10-year low of 49.4 million students.

The sudden decline followed 3 percent growth over the preceding decade.