Oklahoma public school enrollment continues rebound after pandemic-induced decline

The Tulsa World’s evaluation of newly launched state information exhibits that public colleges’ rolls grew by almost 2,600 college students up to now 12 months, as much as 701,258 complete.

In October 2020, Oklahoma’s public school enrollment registered its first downturn in almost twenty years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 694,113 college students complete. The newest enrollment figures are nonetheless shy of the state’s prepandemic excessive of 703,650 college students.

The largest hits to enrollment from the pandemic have been seen in pre-Okay and kindergarten, and people two grade ranges haven’t come near rebounding to pre-pandemic ranges, in accordance with the annual Oct. 1 pupil rely. Currently, the state has 87,831 pre-kindergartners and kindergartners in public colleges, in comparison with 94,610 in fall 2019.

One standout development is a 15% decline in constitution school enrollment since final yr, from 59,755 to 50,716 college students, which intently mirrors the numerous downturn in college students at a newly consolidated Epic Charter School.

For the second yr in a row, Tulsa Public Schools is Oklahoma’s largest school district, up 2% year-over-year to 33,871 college students.

“We are proud to be Oklahoma’s largest school district, and we remain deeply committed to serving, supporting and celebrating every child and every family in the city of Tulsa,” mentioned a TPS consultant Wednesday afternoon. 

Oklahoma City Public Schools got here in second, however that district noticed a one-year enhance of three.6% to 33,245 complete.

Third-largest Epic has 28,478 college students, representing a one-year decline of almost 10,000 college students from the 38,334 complete enrolled on the previously separate Epic One-on-One and Epic Blended Learning Centers on Oct. 1, 2021.

This yr’s pupil rely at Epic represents a 53% decline for the reason that top of the pandemic, when Epic enrolled almost 61,000 college students.

Asked in regards to the development, Shawna Salkil, deputy superintendent of operations, mentioned school officers suppose Epic’s enrollment has merely returned to pre-pandemic ranges.

Another statewide digital constitution school, Insight School of Oklahoma, picked up about 150 new college students, an 18% enhance, going from 803 final yr to 949 this fall.

Charter colleges are publicly funded colleges of alternative ruled by unbiased, non-elected boards. In all, constitution school enrollment represents 7.2% of all public school college students in Oklahoma, in comparison with 8.6% within the fall of 2021.

Outgoing State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister mentioned the continuing restoration of scholars for the reason that pandemic struck in March 2020 is proof that “Oklahoma families recognize the value of their local public schools, and with good reason.” 

“Our public schools are consistently implementing the Ready Together Oklahoma plan and other strategies to help students succeed in the wake of challenges spurred by the global pandemic,” Hofmeister said. “As enrollment steadily increases, it is important that the state Legislature ensure our educators are well-prepared to provide a high-quality education.”

Spreadsheets with state, district and website totals can be found at sde.ok.gov/documents/state-student-public-enrollment.

Tulsa Honor Academy, a Tulsa Public Schools-sponsored charter school, had the largest enrollment percentage increase in the area for a second year in a row, with enrollment climbing by 32.3% from 2021 to 2022. The next-fastest growing Tulsa school is TPS-sponsored Collegiate Hall, where enrollment is up 11.4%.

Tulsa Public Schools now has 660 more students than a year ago.

Seven of the district’s nine traditional high schools had higher student counts than the previous year; McLain leads the pack with 93 additional students. The two exceptions were Booker T. Washington and Webster, whose enrollments declined by 22 and seven students, respectively.

Excluding the elementary and middle school campuses in the East Central and Hale feeder patterns, which moved sixth grade from elementary to middle school level this school year, 25 TPS sites reported an enrollment increase of 25 or more students than they had on Oct. 1, 2021.

They are Burroughs, Celia Clinton, Council Oak, Felicitas Mendez at Ralph J. Bunche, Eliot, Eugene Field, Grissom, Lanier, Mayo Demonstration, Patrick Henry, Salk and Wayman Tisdale elementary schools; Carver, Central, Edison, Memorial and Webster middle schools; Central, East Central, Hale, Memorial and McLain high schools; and the placement-based alternative sites Project Accept TRAICE Elementary School, TRAICE Academy Middle School and TRAICE Academy High School. 

Schools outside the East Central and Hale feeder patterns reporting a year over year enrollment decline of 25 students or more include Greenwood Leadership Academy, Thoreau Demonstration Academy, Monroe Demonstration Academy and McClure Elementary School. Part of the Memorial feeder pattern, McClure’s grade configuration changed after the 2021-22 student count data was published. 

Among Tulsa-area charter schools, only two reported a decline in enrollment from 2021-22: College Bound Academy and Sankofa Middle School.

A prekindergarten through fourth grade campus authorized by TPS, College Bound Academy’s enrollment dropped by 11 students, or 2.4%.

Authorized by Langston University, Sankofa Middle School’s enrollment has declined 22.2% since fall 2021.

Three other Tulsa charter schools — Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, Deborah Brown Community School and Dove Schools of Tulsa — saw modest enrollment gains of 10 or fewer students.