The COVID pandemic's threat to rising per-student-spending and climbing teacher salaries remains unclear, say researchers who compiled the NEA's annual school funding report.
The California Department of Education data shows that the number of students at K-12 schools dropped by more than 160,000 this academic year, most of them at the K-6 level, to a total of 6 million.
A Gilbert Public Schools spokesperson confirmed the reduction impacts 152 certified staff members who have already been notified. Certified staff includes positions like teachers, administrators, school counselors and nurses.
Kindergarten enrollment is down nationally, and the haphazard mix of alternatives has experts worried about who will be ready for first grade in fall 2021.
Enrollment in Roman Catholic schools in the United States dropped 6.4% from the previous academic year amid the pandemic and economic stresses – the largest single-year decline in at least five decades.
Offering students a diverse and advanced curriculum, teacher shortages and broadband access will remain hurdles even as rural district emerge from COVID.
