2023-24 School Year: How many students were enrolled in first grade at Decker Elementary School?

Out of 432 students enrolled at Decker Elementary School, 12% 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 kindergarten, with 22.5% 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
kindergarten	97	22.5%
6th Grade	67	15.5%
3rd Grade	60	13.9%
4th Grade	58	13.4%
5th Grade	53	12.3%
1st Grade	52	12%
2nd Grade	45	10.4%