What are the enrollment trends in public and private elementary and secondary schools?

Enrollment in elementary and secondary schools grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s and reached a peak in 1971. This enrollment rise was caused by what is known as the "baby boom," a dramatic increase in births following World War II. From 1971 to 1984, total elementary and secondary school enrollment decreased every year, reflecting the decline in the school-age population over that period. After these years of decline, enrollment in elementary and secondary schools started increasing in fall 1985, began hitting new record levels in the mid-1990s, and has continued to reach a new record level in each subsequent year.

Public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 8 rose from 29.9 million in fall 1990 to 34.2 million in 2003. After a decrease of less than 1 percent between fall 2003 and fall 2004, elementary enrollment increased to a projected total of 34.9 million for fall 2008. Public elementary enrollment is projected to continue this pattern of annual increases through 2017 (the last year for which NCES has projected school enrollment). Public school enrollment in the upper grades rose from 11.3 million in 1990 to 15.1 million in 2006, with a projected enrollment of 14.9 million for 2008. Public secondary enrollment is projected to show a decrease of 3 percent between 2006 and 2011, and then increase again through 2017. Public secondary school enrollment in 2017 is expected to be about 5 percent higher than in 2008. Total public elementary and secondary enrollment is projected to set new records every year from 2008 to 2017.

The percentage of students in private elementary and secondary schools declined from 11.7 percent in 1995 to 11.0 percent in 2005. In 2008, a projected 6.1 million students were enrolled in private schools at the elementary and secondary levels.

School enrollment rates among 5- and 6-year-olds, 7-to 13-year-olds, and 14- to 17-year-olds remained relatively steady between 1985 and 2007. Since the enrollment rates of elementary and secondary school-age children changed by less than 2 percentage points between 1985 and 2007, increases in public and private elementary and secondary school enrollment have been driven primarily by increases in the number of children in these age groups. Increases in the enrollment rate of prekindergarten age children (ages 3 and 4) between 1985 and 2007 have also contributed to overall enrollment increases.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2009). Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 (NCES 2009-020), Chapter 1. For the complete article, please go here.