Rochester School District Enrollment Drops For 3rd Straight Year

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester School District continues to experience declining enrollment, but the official headcount for the 2024-2025 school year was a little higher than expected and will result in some additional state funding.

The Rochester School Board on Tuesday will be presented with the school district's annual enrollment update. It shows that, as of October 1, 17,323 students were enrolled in the Rochester Public Schools. That total is 258, or 1.5%, below the enrollment that was reported a year ago.

At the same time, the enrollment total was 160 above the projection that was presented to the school board in February. That will result in a boost in the portion of state funding that is allocated on a per pupil basis. District staff is indicating it will bring forward a budget revision based on the additional funding next month.

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The report that will be presented to the board shows enrollment has now declined for three consecutive years and has dropped by 839 students since the start of the 2018-2019 school year when overall enrollment was reported at 18,162. That was followed by a modest increase the following year, and then a precipitous drop in 2020 when enrollment fell 3.6%, or by about 660 students, as the COVID pandemic gripped the nation.

School district data shows there was a slight increase in enrollment in 2021 as COVID restrictions were eased, but enrollment then slipped in each of the following three years.

An updated enrollment projection is expected to be brought to the School Board early next year.