Missouri sees decrease in public school enrollment | State News [Video]

Enrollment in Missouri public schools has fallen by 2.2%, or roughly 19,000 students, over the last five academic years, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) education dashboard.

This drop in enrollment mirrors a national trend, according to data released by the National Center for Education Statistics. Between the fall of 2018 and the fall of 2021, public school enrollment across the U.S. dropped by 2.5%, which is roughly 1.2 million students. Over that same time period, private school enrollment increased by 8%, or 450,000 students.  

While Missouri public school enrollment has decreased, it’s unclear where students have gone. This is because Missouri does not track private school enrollment data and does not require parents to notify the state when they choose to homeschool their child.

However, two private schools in Boone County — Columbia Independent School (CIS) and City Garden School — are expanding due to increases in enrollment.

Officials at …