SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today released K–12 public school enrollment data for the 2020–21 academic year.
The annual snapshot of fall enrollment shows a sharp one-year decline as the state and nation grappled with a deadly pandemic that disrupted all aspects of public education.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said the CDE will redouble its efforts to work with school leaders to gain a deeper understanding of the myriad of reasons behind the drop, while helping school districts bolster effective student and family engagement strategies in the weeks and months ahead.
“In a year that has been so challenging for educators, students, and families, it is concerning to see this decrease, especially those in our youngest grades,” Thurmond said. “While there are many reasons to stay optimistic that enrollment will rebound as conditions improve, allowing more schools to safely return to in-person instruction, we also must help schools identify opportunities to engage with families who either sought new options for their students during the pandemic or need additional resources and support to connect with school and succeed.”
Earlier this school year, State Superintendent Thurmond created the CDE’s first Family Engagement Unit to provide guidance and direct support to schools as they identify and design outreach strategies to re-engage with students and families who may have experienced increased barriers to access during the pandemic.
The CDE is also helping schools understand how increased funding and resources for schools can be used for building connections, designing strategies for learning acceleration, and bolstering academic and mental health programs as students return to campus.
Statewide findings for this year’s data include:
- Overall Enrollment 2020–2021: Overall enrollment is down from 6,163,001 in 2019–2020 to 6,002,523 in 2020–2021, a decrease of more than 160,000 students and 2.6 percent from the prior year. This follows a modest, steady decline in public school enrollment statewide since 2014–15.
- Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity during COVID-19 (2020–2021): Data from 2019–2020 to 2020–2021 show that that the percentage of total enrollment who are African American students declined 0.1 percentage point (5.3 to 5.2), the percentage who are Asian students increased 0.2 percentage points (9.3 to 9.5), the percentage who are Hispanic/Latino students increased 0.4 percentage points from 54.9 to 55.3 and the percentage who are white students decreased 0.7 percentage points (22.4 to 21.7).
- Grade level trends during COVID-19 (2020–2021): Data from 2020–2021 show that 88 percent of the statewide drop in enrollment from the prior year occurred in kindergarten to sixth grade. The largest grade-level decreases in the enrollment data can be found in kindergarten and in grade six. Enrollment increases from the prior year occurred in grades 5, 9, 11, and 12.
The data is compiled by the CDE from data submitted annually by local educational agencies to the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS).
Under state law enacted during the pandemic, school districts will not experience a decline in revenues due to 2020–21 enrollment figures.
The updated enrollment data is available on the CDE’s Data Quest website.# # # #
Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
2020–21 Statewide School Enrollment Data Released - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond this week announced that 31 high-performing California middle schools have been recognized by the California Schools to Watch program. One school, Standard Middle School, managed to complete the rigorous application process during the COVID-19 school closure period and is the only new California School to Watch for 2021. An additional 30 existing schools reapplied to the program, demonstrated their sustained progress, and have been re-designated as 2021 “California Schools to Watch.”
"Congratulations to these schools for building systems that support all students in believing in themselves, discovering their individual interests, and working toward their academic, life, and career goals," Thurmond said. "These schools are outstanding examples of how educational innovation and a dedicated school community can keep students engaged and learning through a critical stage in their K–12 journey."
These high-performing model schools demonstrate academic excellence, social equity, and responsiveness to the needs of young adolescents. For example, Fruitvale Junior High School has an outstanding forensic medical science program that allows students to experience science hands-on and use their skills of analysis, inquiry, and observation. Los Osos Middle School has piloted a successful mentorship program that incorporates community members and prepares students for high school and beyond.
The 2021 “California Schools to Watch” schools are:
Newly Designated 2021 California School to Watch
- Standard Middle School, Standard School District, Kern County
Redesignated 2021 California Schools to Watch
- Bell Intermediate School, Garden Grove Unified School District, Orange County
- Castaic Middle School, Castaic Union Elementary School District, Los Angeles County
- Cerro Villa Middle School, Orange Unified School District, Orange County
- Clark Intermediate School, Clovis Unified School District, Fresno County
- De Anza Magnet School, El Centro Elementary School District, Santa Clara County
- De Anza Middle School, Ontario Montclair School District, San Bernardino County
- Fedde International Studies Academy, ABC Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Fruitvale Junior High School, Fruitvale Elementary School District, Kern County
- Golden Valley Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Granite Ridge Intermediate School, Clovis Unified School District, Fresno County
- Griffiths Middle School, Downey Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Hollydale School, Paramount Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Katherine L. Albiani Middle School, Elk Grove Unified School District, Sacramento County
- Kings Canyon Middle School, Fresno Unified School District, Fresno County
- Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts, Fullerton School District, Orange County
- Lakeside Middle School, Little Lake City School District, Los Angeles County
- Liberty Middle School, Lemoore Union Elementary School District, Kings County
- Live Oak Middle School, Live Oak Unified School District, Sutter County
- Los Osos Middle School, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, San Luis Obispo County
- Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Mary R. Stauffer Middle School, Downey Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Mountain View Middle School, Moreno Valley Unified School District, Riverside County
- Paramount Park Middle School, Paramount Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- San Marcos Middle School, San Marcos Unified School District, San Diego County
- Sequoia Middle School, Fontana Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Tincher Preparatory School, Long Beach Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Turlock Junior High School, Turlock School District, Stanislaus County
- Union Middle School, Union Elementary School District, Santa Clara County
- Vina Danks Middle School, Ontario Montclair School District, San Bernardino County
- Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School, El Centro Elementary School District, Santa Clara County
The California Schools to Watch program is sponsored by the California Department of Education, California League of Schools
, and the California Middle Grades Alliance, in association with the National Forum. To earn this designation, schools must complete an extensive application and host a site visit by middle grades experts. In order to retain the designation, each school is re-evaluated every three years.
The 2021 schools were recognized by State Superintendent Thurmond today during the California Schools to Watch Celebration (online this year due to COVID-19) that is part of the CLS Embracing Equity & Excellence Conference. For more information about the program, please visit the California Schools to Watch web page.
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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that 21 schools and two school districts earned 2021 California Green Ribbon Schools awards. Among these state honorees are five “Green Achievers” nominated by the State Superintendent to receive U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition.
The U.S. Department of Education today confirmed all five Green Achievers as ED-GRS honorees, which are recognized for conserving resources while promoting health and environmental literacy. California’s honorees are among 27 schools, three early learning centers, five districts, and five postsecondary institutions being honored nationally.
“The pandemic has driven home the vital importance of school buildings and grounds, health and wellness, and hands-on authentic learning,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “I congratulate the selected schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions, which are, through their sustainability practices, offering healthy, safe, efficient school environments and protecting our planet. Not surprisingly, many of our honorees support students in underserved communities, proving once again that green schools’ practices, encompassing best practices school operations, health, and environmental learning, are critical tools to advance equity.”
“Congratulations to this year’s Green Ribbon Schools, all of whom rose to the challenge of continuing their work in schoolwide sustainability, despite strenuous conditions caused by a global pandemic,” said Thurmond. “Despite the fact that some the schools recognized are within some of the state’s most disadvantaged areas, I’m thrilled that they are being honored. Environmental literacy helps not just the local school, but is the ultimate example of place-based education—immersing students in service projects that benefit the whole community. California’s Green Ribbon Schools program empowers students to hone the skills they’ll use to lead and inspire their local communities to act on behalf of the environment.”
California’s 2021 ED-GRS honorees are:
- Fryberger Elementary School, Westminster, Orange County
- May Ranch Elementary School, Val Verde Unified, Riverside County
- Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Desert Sands Unified, Riverside County
- Los Altos High School, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High, Santa Clara County
- The Nueva School (private), San Mateo County
The California Green Ribbon Schools award uses the applications submitted for ED-GRS recognition to recognize schools and school districts for environmental excellence. Private school awards are conferred by the California Association of Private School Organizations. Details on California’s ED-GRS honorees and a list of the California Green Ribbon Schools honorees are below. For more information, please visit CDE's Green Ribbon Schools Award Program web page.
California's ED-GRS Honorees
Fryberger Elementary School, Westminster, Orange County
Through thematic, project-based learning units centered around California's Next Generation Science Standards and Environmental Principles and Concepts, Fryberger students engage in real-world ecological activities from organic farming in the school's garden to combatting microplastics in the ocean. After installing new energy-efficient HVAC systems, campus-wide LED lighting, and a solar array that produces 90 percent of the school's energy needs, the school developed a customized Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program educating students on how these improvements help combat climate change. The school maintains an 80 percent waste-diversion rate with students cleaning and sorting biodegradable foodservice containers and maintaining a school compost bin with red worms to break down food waste from meal service. Fryberger also practices weekly mindfulness activities that teach students about the components of their brain, how to express their emotions, and how to set goals and never give up.
May Ranch Elementary School, Val Verde Unified, Riverside County
At May Ranch, the sustainable agriculture program utilizes green technologies; leads hands-on learning experiences; and provides the community with healthy, nutritious produce. Students study, plant, and maintain pollinator-friendly native plants, including indigenous, water-efficient plants in the garden. They also compost food scraps and maintain two vermicomposting towers with 1,000 worms. Through the school's garden, aeroponic towers, and vertical farm, May Ranch students produced more than 1,000 heads of lettuce for the cafeteria during the 2019–20 school year. Students harvest, weigh, and calculate the retail cost of produce provided to the cafeteria, and staff invoice the district's food services department. From 2017 to 2020, the City of Perris and May Ranch annually certified approximately 30 students as Junior Master Gardeners. Understanding the need to combat obesity and the city's status as a food desert, May Ranch continues to expand its garden and sustainability education, hands-on learning opportunities, and outdoor experiences for students.
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Desert Sands Unified, Riverside County
Located in California's arid Coachella Valley, Roosevelt provides an education program that helps its students be environmentally conscious, civic-minded, healthy, and college- and career-ready. Since 2014, the school has participated in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, which informed and inspired its wellness policy. The school's STEM program focuses on renewable energy sources and ecological design to reduce carbon's impact on the environment. In 2020, the school began work with the United States Green Building Council's Building Learners program. The program teaches students and staff to use the Arc Skoru online sustainability benchmarking platform to evaluate the school for resource efficiency opportunities. At the end of the program, students will present sustainability recommendations to the City of Indio and the Desert Sands Unified School Board.
Los Altos High School, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High, Santa Clara County
Since 2009, Los Altos High has built a culture where parents, teachers, students, and administrators are invited to lead school greening efforts. The school’s Green Team environmental club partnered with local nonprofit GreenTown Los Altos to create an anti-idling campaign and organize community e-waste collection events. The Green Team brings a rolling composter directly to the quad area to collect food scraps from students at lunchtime. The PTSA Go Green Sustainability Committee provides reusable dinnerware and sustainability ideas to school groups for large events. In 2017, LAHS built a LEED Gold-certified classroom building with xeriscaping, bioswales, and solar panels. On-site solar meets approximately 55 percent of electric needs, combined with battery storage units to balance the load and cut peak energy demands during the day. The school provides electric vehicle charging stations to teachers and staff at no cost. Los Altos High also encourages alternative modes of transportation by enacting parking policies to encourage carpooling and providing storage for bikes and skateboards. The school also lobbied the city to prioritize bike and pedestrian routes over cars and parking. To improve health and reduce stress each quarter, students enjoy yoga in the quad, service animals on campus during finals week, and support for mindfulness activities during class time.
The Nueva School (private), San Mateo County
The Nueva School serves students in grades PK–12 at two campuses. The Hillsborough campus serves lower and middle school divisions, and the San Mateo campus serves the upper school division. The Hillsborough campus offers nearly 34 beautiful wooded acres for environmental exploration, including the LEED Gold-certified Hillside Learning Center. In contrast, the entirely LEED Gold-certified San Mateo campus reflects a sustainable urban design and features easy access to public transit. Students engage in various waste-reduction strategies ranging from a full plastic trash study in Kindergarten, to upper-grade students making their campus paper-cup free by switching to reusable mugs and hosting zero-landfill events. In 2019, Nueva launched a new environmental citizenship program to develop specific policies that integrate environmental literacy across the curriculum and educational activities. Program staff partner with faculty and administrators to support curriculum-adjacent activities and create meaningful integration of ecological learning and performance criteria in Nueva's trip program, student mentoring in clubs, and individual projects.
All California Green Ribbon Schools Awardees
Public Schools
- Fryberger Elementary School, Westminster, Orange County (Green Achiever)
- Los Altos High School, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High, Santa Clara County (Green Achiever)
- May Ranch Elementary School, Val Verde Unified, Riverside County (Green Achiever)
- Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Desert Sands Unified, Riverside County (Green Achiever)
- Georgia Morris Elementary, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Gold)
- Milor Continuation High, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Gold)
- Rialto Middle, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Gold)
- William G. Jehue Middle, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Gold)
- Captain Leland Norton Elementary, San Bernardino City Unified, San Bernardino County (Silver)
- Jefferson Elementary, Carlsbad Unified, San Diego County (Silver)
- Katella High, Anaheim Union High, Orange County (Silver)
- Kelley Elementary, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Silver)
- Nancy R. Kordyak Elementary, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Silver)
- South Hillsborough, Hillsborough City Elementary, San Mateo County (Silver)
- Trapp Elementary, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Silver)
- Bella Mente Montessori Academy, Vista Unified, San Diego County (Bronze)
- Eisenhower Senior High, Rialto Unified, San Bernardino County (Bronze)
- Harbor High, Santa Cruz City High, Santa Cruz County (Bronze)
School Districts
- San Rafael City High, Marin County (Silver)
- Ravenswood City Elementary, San Mateo County (Bronze)
Private Schools
- The Nueva School, San Mateo County (Green Achiever)
- Bellarmine College Preparatory, Santa Clara County (Gold)
- Cate School, Santa Barbara County (Gold)
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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100