Marin education office reports letup in enrollment declines

The overall enrollment decline at Marin’s public schools has leveled off since the onset of the pandemic, and some districts are growing, according to the county education office.

“We declined 5% in 2020-21, 4% in 2021-22 and 1% in 2022-23,” Kate Lane, a deputy county superintendent. “And it would appear we have declined another 1% in 2023-24.”

The Marin County Office of Education released initial attendance figures on Wednesday . The data include the first-day and sixth-day enrollment numbers for the new school year.

The county’s 17 school districts and four charter schools logged 29,068 students on their first day of school this year, compared to 29,288 at the same time last year. Districts with significant increases include San Rafael City Schools and the Lagunitas School District, Lane said.

Lagunitas recorded 157 students for first-day enrollment, an increase from 147 students at the same time last year. The San Rafael Elementary District had 4,197 students on the first day, up from 4,112 last year.

In the Ross Valley School District, first-day enrollment increased from 1,671 students last year to 1,700 this year. On the sixth day of school, however, the enrollment dropped to 1,646.