Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ enrollment has fallen to its lowest point in more than a decade, according to new state data — and the trend mirrors declines across North Carolina’s traditional public schools.
CMS enrolled 139,476 students this fiscal year, a 1.7% decline from last year. Excluding 2020, when the pandemic caused dramatic nationwide school enrollment drops, it’s the district’s largest single-year decrease since at least 2004.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools did not respond to a request for comment.
Statewide, traditional public school enrollment also fell by about 1.8%, falling from 1,371,565 to 1,347,577. That's the steepest annual decline since 2004 outside of the pandemic year.
Multiple factors are driving the trend in North Carolina, including stagnant birth rates and expanding school choice options. Enrollment at independent public schools — which includes charter schools — increased by about 3%, and the state expanded private school vouchers.
The Department of Public Instruction said staff was still analyzing the data and couldn't comment until that process was complete.
Demographic forecasters have told state officials they expect the market share of students attending public schools to decline by 2030. However, projections have been mixed on whether the actual number of public school students will fall as well.
Those forecasts pointed to the state's private school voucher program and growing charter school enrollment as key factors in those projections.
