Maryland schools had one homework assignment: report enrollment numbers to the state department of education by Sept. 30.
For two of the state鈥檚 largest school districts, Montgomery and Prince George鈥檚 counties, the figures show that enrollment is not yet up to pre-pandemic levels.
The numbers for Montgomery County were fairly flat, with an enrollment of 160,770 students recorded by the end of September. In Prince George鈥檚 County, school officials found 131,390 students had enrolled for the 2023-24 school year.
In both cases, the numbers are not at pre-pandemic levels. In Montgomery County, the numbers are down nearly 3% since the fall of 2019.
Montgomery County’s Board of Education met for a briefing on enrollment figures and the school system鈥檚 capital improvements plan Tuesday. Seth Adams, the associate superintendent for facilities management for MCPS, told the board 鈥渨hat鈥檚 happening here is very consistent across the region.鈥�
At the same time, Adams said the current enrollment numbers are 鈥減reliminary.鈥�
鈥淓nrollment does move throughout the school year,” he said. “We have students that come in, whether it be international enrollment or within the country.”
Other factors can play a role in enrollments, according to Adams.
鈥淭here鈥檚 development, which is new housing, there鈥檚 turnover of housing, and when you see interest rates that are out there now, that鈥檚 certainly impactful to what we鈥檙e seeing,鈥� he said.
Despite the dip in enrollment when compared to pre-pandemic levels, Montgomery County Superintendent Monifa McKnight said the school system should be planning for an enrollment increase of about 7,000 by 2030, according to projections.
The projections are based on trends over time and geographic factors, Adams said.
In an email to WTOP, Montgomery County school spokesperson Chris Cram wrote that a variety of factors led to a dip in student enrollment during the pandemic, including families who chose to send their children to private school, opted for home schooling or left the county.
Noting that enrollment did increase from its lowest point in 2021, Cram said 鈥渢hat is likely due in part鈥� to declining birthrates in the county.
