Out of 459 students at Esther L. Walter, 11.3% were in first grade during 2023-24 school year

Out of 459 students enrolled at Esther L. Walter, 11.3% were in first grade during the 2023-24 school year, according to the California Department of Education. The grade with the highest concentration of students was sixth grade, with 17.6% of all students.

California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.

Grade	Number of Students	% of Total
6th Grade	81	17.6%
kindergarten	75	16.3%
5th Grade	74	16.1%
3rd Grade	66	14.4%
2nd Grade	64	13.9%
1st Grade	52	11.3%
4th Grade	47	10.2%