Oregon public schools see enrollment fall amid COVID-19 impacts, distance learning

Bend-La Pine fall student count drops nearly 6 percent; rebound expected as in-person classes resume

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There were nearly 22,000 fewer students enrolled in Oregon's public schools last fall, another impact of COVID-19 restrictions and the move to distance learning, state officials said Thursday.

The Oregon Department of Education published Thursday its 2020-21 Fall Membership Report, showing the number of K-12 students who were enrolled in Oregon public schools on Oct. 1, 2020.

This year’s data show a total enrollment of 560,917 students. This is an enrollment decline of 3.7% when compared to the 2019-20 school year, and represents an enrollment drop of 21,744 students.

More than one-quarter of the decline occurred in kindergarten, with 6,171 fewer kindergarten students enrolled than last year. Most states across the country have also seen lower enrollment this year, with the largest declines in kindergarten.

"The transition to Comprehensive Distance Learning has presented significant challenges and some new opportunities," the department said.

"The Oregon Department of Education is committed to returning our students to in-person instruction as soon as this can be done safely. We anticipate enrollment will rebound once students resume in-person learning," it added.

"Although enrollment is a key factor in distributing school funding," ODE said, "the funding level is fixed and the funding distribution formula is flexible enough to accommodate this decline without significantly impacting dollars needed to support Oregon’s students." 

Listed below are the enrollment numbers and enrollment changes for the 10 largest school districts in Oregon, based on 2020-21 enrollment.