Private Schools Battle Enrollment Declines

Jan 2, 2018, 2:48 PM

(from The Wall Street Journal) Private schools are lowering tuition, ramping up marketing and targeting traditionally underrepresented communities to reverse a national enrollment decline. Enrollment in private schools for grades preK to 12, including parochial schools, dropped by 14 percent — to 6.3 million in 2016 from 7.3 million in 2006, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall school enrollment was nearly flat during that time, with public schools educating 2 percent more students to reach almost 52 million in 2016, the data shows. Researchers and private-school associations attribute the decline to a host of factors: More affordable Catholic schools have closed; traditional public schools provide better options; families cut budgets after the recession; and charter schools and other alternatives have expanded. ... An NAIS spokesperson said private schools must diversify and draw families of all backgrounds. The dominant demographic in private schools is white students with married parents making at least $75,000, according to Census information.

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