School enrollment declined in every district in the GLOW region except one in the past decade, with some districts seeing more than 20% fewer students.
That follows a statewide trend that has seen enrollment in public schools at its lowest level in 30 years.
Just one district in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties saw an increase in enrollment: Mount Morris, which saw a 22.5% increase in the number of students since the 2008-09 school year.
Mount Morris had the highest increase among any district outside of New York City, according to a report released Tuesday by The Empire Center for Public Policy in Albany.
Another school in Livingston, Honeoye, also had the largest decrease in enrollment in the GLOW region, with a 33% decrease.
Countywide, Orleans County saw the largest average decrease in enrollment, with a nearly 21% drop in the number of students.
Wyoming followed with 16.7% fewer students, Livingston had 14.9% fewer and Genesee had 10% fewer students than in the 2008-09 school year.
The Empire Center, a non-profit think tank, said the drop in students is a result of New York’s continuing decline in the number of school-age children.
Including charter schools and pre-kindergarten programs, New York public school enrollment in 2018-19 was estimated at 2,578,135, down 30,338 pupils from 2017-18 and at its lowest level since the 1990-91 count of 2,540,944, according to the state Department of Education.
New York public school enrollment reached an all-time high of 3.5 million in 1970-71, then declined by one million in the post-baby boom era of the 1970s and ‘80s. After rebounding through the 1990s, enrollment partially recovered to its most recent peak of nearly 2.9 million in 1999-2000. However, it has dropped every year since, by an annual average of 0.5%, for a total decrease of nearly 280,000 in the last 19 years.
At this rate, enrollment in New York schools will soon dip to levels last seen in the late 1950s, according to The Empire Center report.
Here is a look at schools in the GLOW region, with the 2008-09 enrollment listed first:
GENESEE
Alexander: 964, 857, an 11.1% decrease;
Batavia: 2,392, 2,278, a 4.8% decrease;
Byron-Bergen: 1,146, 885, a 22.8% drop;
Elba: 527, 392, a 25.6% decrease;
Le Roy: 1,399, 1,203, a 14% drop;
Oakfield-Alabama: 993, 817, a 17.8% drop;
Pavilion: 871, 689, a 21% drop;
Pembroke: 1,166, 968, a 17% drop.
LIVINGSTON
Avon: 1,048, 1004, a 4.2% drop;
Cal-Mum: 1,015, 809, a 20.3% drop;
Dansville: 1,704, 1,490, a 12.6% drop;
Geneseo: 931, 846, a 9.1% drop;
Honeoye: 848, 568, a 33% drop;
Livonia: 1,971, 1,498, a 24% drop;
Mount Morris: 488, 598, a 22.5% increase;
York: 851, 731, a 14% drop.
ORLEANS
Albion: 2,313, 1,865, a 19.4% drop;
Holley: 1,272, 977, a 23.2% drop;
Kendall: 863, 717, a 16.9% drop;
Lyndonville: 788, 629, a 22.% decrease.
WYOMING
Attica: 1,655, 1,224, a 26% decrease;
Letchworth: 1,086, 926, a 14.7% drop;
Perry: 968, 840, a 13.2% drop;
Warsaw: 1,057, 875, a 17.2% decrease;
Wyoming: 170, 120, a 29.4% decrease;
Yorkshire/Pioneer: 2,606, 2,479, a 4.9% drop.
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