Question:
What are the enrollment trends in public and private elementary and secondary schools?

Response:

Enrollment in elementary and secondary schools grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s and reached a peak in 1971. This enrollment rise was caused by what is known as the "baby boom," a dramatic increase in births following World War II. From 1971 to 1984, total elementary and secondary school enrollment decreased every year, reflecting the decline in the school-age population over that period. After these years of decline, enrollment in elementary and secondary schools started increasing in fall 1985, began hitting new record levels in the mid-1990s, and has continued to reach a new record level in each subsequent year.

Public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 8 rose from 29.9 million in fall 1990 to 34.2 million in 2003. After a small decrease between fall 2003 and fall 2004, elementary enrollment increased to a projected total of 34.6 million for fall 2007. Public elementary enrollment is projected to continue this pattern of annual increases through 2016. Public school enrollment in the upper grades rose from 11.3 million in 1990 to 14.9 million in 2005, with a projected enrollment of 15.0 million for 2007. Public secondary enrollment is projected to decrease 2 percent between 2007 and 2011, and then begin increasing again through 2016. Public secondary school enrollment in 2016 is expected to be about 2 percent higher than in 2007.

Private school enrollment grew more slowly than public school enrollment from 1985 to 2007, rising 11 percent, from 5.6 million to 6.2 million. As a result, the percentage of students enrolled in private schools declined from 12.4 percent in 1985 to 11.0 percent in 2007.

Since the enrollment rates of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school-age children did not change substantially between 1985 and 2006, increases in public and private elementary school enrollment have been driven primarily by increases in the number of children in this age group.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2008). Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 (NCES 2008-022), Chapter 1.

1 Beginning in fall 1980, data include estimates for an expanded universe of private schools. Therefore, direct comparisons with earlier years should be avoided. 2 Estimated. 3 Projected. NOTE: Elementary and secondary enrollment includes students in local public school systems and in most private schools (religiously affiliated and nonsectarian), but generally excludes students in subcollegiate departments of colleges, federal schools, and home-schooled children. Based on the National Household Education Survey, the home-schooled children numbered approximately 1.1 million in 2003. Excludes preprimary pupils in private schools that did not offer kindergarten or above. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2008). Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 (NCES 2008-022), Table 3.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2007, Projections of Education Statistics to 2016, Table 3. Actual and projected numbers for enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by grade: Fall 1991 to fall 2016
  
• 2007, Projections of Education Statistics to 2016, Table 4. Actual and projected numbers for enrollment in grades PK-12 in public elementary and secondary schools, by region and state: Fall 1998 to fall 2016
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2008, Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results from the 2005-2006 Private School Universe Survey
  
• 2007, Projections of Education Statistics to 2016
  
• 2007, Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment, High School Completions, and Staff From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06