Enrollment declined in 9 of the 12 years tracked. The steepest single-year drop came in 2020-21 when the district lost 1,461 students — likely a combination of pandemic homeschooling and families delaying kindergarten enrollment. The district has never recovered those students.
Elementary enrollment peaked at 11,973 in 2016-17 and has fallen to 8,941 in 2025-26 — a loss of 3,032 students (−25.3%) over nine years. This cohort decline will continue working through middle and high school grades for years to come.
High school enrollment has been more resilient, declining from 8,823 in 2014-15 to 7,747 in 2023-24 before recovering slightly to 8,160 in 2025-26, likely reflecting alternative program growth (Cascadia Technical Academy opened, Open Doors expanded).
Kindergarten enrollment dropped from 2,148 in 2013-14 to 1,536 in 2025-26 — a loss of 612 seats (−28.5%). Since K enrollment directly feeds into 1st grade the following year, this is the clearest forward signal of continued district-wide enrollment decline.
Grade 11 shows an unusual spike to 2,425 in 2025-26, up from 1,957 in 2023-24. This may reflect reporting changes, alternative learning program consolidations, or students re-enrolling after a gap. The pattern warrants scrutiny.
While most schools have seen enrollment decline, a handful have bucked the trend. Marrion Elementary, Sifton Elementary, and Burton Elementary are near or above their 2013-14 levels. Meanwhile, Harmony, Illahee, Shahala, and several others have lost more than a third of their enrollment — creating significant capacity imbalances that the district's consolidation discussions are beginning to address.