Student enrollment declines for third consecutive year among public schools

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) announced that Utah’s public education system enrollment has dropped for the third consecutive year.

USBE reported that the official enrollment figures show over 650,000 students enrolled in Utah’s public K–12 schools for the 2025–26 school year, a decrease of almost 11,500 students.

Out of Utah’s 15 largest traditional school districts, 14 experienced enrollment declines of more than 1%. USBE shared that Salt Lake City, Granite and Washington County districts were each down 4.5%.

However, Beaver County and Tooele County districts recorded growth of 1% or more.

Specialized educational services

USBE shared that while total enrollment is decreasing, the proportion of students requiring specialized educational services continues to rise.

Enrollment for students with disabilities is almost 90,000. The amount is a 14% of the total number of students, a 3% increase from 2013–14, according to USBE.

Additionally, English learners’ enrollment was over 58,000 students, making 9% of the total number of students. A decade ago, it was just 6%.

Charter school enrollment

USBE reported that charter schools are seeing uneven growth, stating that 49 charter schools experienced a 1% increase in enrollment, but 44 other charter schools saw an enrollment decline of 1%.

Charter school students now represent 13% of Utah’s total student population, reported USBE.