Out of 518 students at Northwood Elementary School, 13.3% were in kindergarten during 2023-24 school year

Out of 518 students enrolled at Northwood Elementary School, 13.3% were in kindergarten 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 16% 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	83	16%
1st Grade	82	15.8%
5th Grade	74	14.3%
3rd Grade	71	13.7%
4th Grade	70	13.5%
kindergarten	69	13.3%
2nd Grade	69	13.3%