district-spotlight
Boston Hits All-Time Low, Down 30% in Three Decades
Boston Public Schools enrolled 44,416 students in 2026, its lowest total in 33 years of data. The district has lost 19,346 students since its 1998 peak.
Data-Driven Education Journalism for the Bay State
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Boston Public Schools enrolled 44,416 students in 2026, its lowest total in 33 years of data. The district has lost 19,346 students since its 1998 peak.
Massachusetts lost 15,442 students in 2025-26, erasing all post-COVID gains and pushing enrollment 10,975 below the pandemic trough to a 31-year low.
DESE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 900,490 students statewide — down 15,442, erasing four years of post-COVID recovery in a single year.