Bay Area school enrollment plunges as families flee high-cost region

Bay Area schools have experienced the third largest decline in student enrollment in California over the past 10 years, as families left high-cost coastal areas for more affordable inland cities and states, new data shows. The region is expected to see an even larger loss over the next 10 years.

Data from the state’s Department of Education, released last month, shows school enrollment throughout California dropped by nearly 15,000 students for the 2023-24 school year, marking the seventh consecutive year of statewide declines.