2023-24 School Year: 15.3% of students enrolled in kindergarten at South Whittier Elementary School District schools

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in South Whittier Elementary School District, with 348 students making up 15.3% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 2% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was sixth grade, with 271 students, or 11.9% of the student body.

The schools that had the highest number of kindergarten students in South Whittier Elementary School District during the period were Howard J. McKibben Elementary School and Los Altos Elementary School, while Lake Marie Elementary School had the fewest.

Overall, South Whittier Elementary School District enrolled 2,269 students, ranking as the 451st highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 445th highest in the previous school year.

California’s public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state’s school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.