Kindergarten among highest enrollment declines as families flee DOEBy Deirdre Bardolf and Susan Edelman
August 5, 2023
Kindergarten enrollment in city public schools is plummeting as parents reject the troubled system — and the hardest-hit districts could suffer for years to come, experts told The Post.
A staggering 33% fewer kindergarten students citywide enrolled last school year than in 2016-2017.
The numbers dropped from 82,517 to 55,288 over those seven school years, according to city Department of Education data obtained by The Post.
District 9 in The Bronx, which covers Morris Heights and Mount Eden, saw the largest decline — 29% — with 690 fewer kindergartners signing up.
It was among three other Bronx districts that saw enrollment declines of 25% or more.
In Manhattan’s District 5, which covers most of Central Harlem and parts of East and West Harlem, last year’s kindergarten enrollment dipped by almost a quarter.
Students there have begged for better schools and overwhelmingly attend publicly funded, privately-run charter schools instead of traditional public schools.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/08/05/families-fleeing-public-schools-starting-with-kindergarten/