Enrollment in DC Public Schools (DCPS) dropped by more than 800 students this academic year, according to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
Preliminary data released by OSSE on Tuesday showed that 49,035 students are currently attending the public schools in Washington, DC. The figure was 49,890 last year and over 51,000 during the 2019-2020 school year.
There was a 1.71 percent decrease in the 2021-2022 school year compared to final, audited numbers released earlier this year.
In the meantime, the city recorded an increase for the second consecutive year in enrollment at DC’s public charter schools, with 44,890 students attending them in the current school year, while the number was 43,942 in the 2020-21 school year.
The number of students attending OSSE-approved homeschooling programs also rose in this school year — to a preliminary number of 959 from 602 — compared to 2020-2021.
“All families of compulsory aged students who wish to home school must register with OSSE and meet certain standards by submitting an application, which OSSE reviews and approves,” according to OSSE, which will also release final numbers in homeschooling and school registrations early next year.
The preliminary figures shared by the city’s education agency are based on a snapshot of data collected froms local education agencies in October.