Texas public schools experience worst enrollment decline in decades, report shows
Enrollment at public schools in Texas declined by more than 76,000 students at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, the largest non-COVID-19 related drop in more than 40 years, according to new data from education advocacy group Texas 2036.
Fort Worth ISD lost the sixth most students in the state over the last year, with only Houston, Dallas, Aldine, Cypress-Fairbanks and Austin ISDs losing more students, according to the report. Fort Worth lost 2,914 students from the 2024-25 year to the current school year, a 4.1% decrease.
Superintendent Peter Licata wrote in a statement to the Star-Telegram that he is aware of enrollment declines and is taking steps to improve outcomes and rebuild community trust in public schools.
“Fort Worth ISD recognizes the enrollment challenges impacting districts across Texas and the nation, particularly in the early grades,” Licata wrote. “Like many urban school systems, our district has experienced enrollment declines over several years, and we understand families are making choices based on academic outcomes, specialized programs, and overall student experience. That reality is exactly why Fort Worth ISD is taking intentional steps to improve student achievement and rebuild trust with families. Under new leadership, the district is focused on strengthening academic performance, increasing support for students and teachers, and creating more opportunities that prepare students for long-term success.”
The sharp decline comes despite rapid population growth across the Fort Worth region and the state of Texas as a whole. Fort Worth ISD has closed several campuses in recent years, with more to close in coming years. In total, the district will close 19 campuses by June 2029.
Previous data from Fort Worth ISD showed the district’s enrollment fell by 15% since the 2019-20 school year. Last year officials projected the district would lose another 6% of its enrollment by 2029-30.
In the entire Fort Worth area, more than 7,300 students have left public schools, a 1.2% drop from last school year to this one, the report shows.
Texas 2036’s report shows declining birth rates, changing migration patterns and increased enrollment to private schools in the state as reasons for the enrollment declines. The report also predicts even more enrollment decline in the years to come. The Texas Demographic Center projects the percentage of people in Texas under the age of 18 will decline to 18% compared to 25% in 2020.
The report shows that elementary grades are experiencing the sharpest enrollment declines, with middle school grades also in a sharp enrollment drop. Urban school districts in the state have been the recipient of the worst declines, while most rural and private districts continue to grow.
Hispanic students make up for 81% of the state’s enrollment drop, which coincides with increased anti-immigration language at both the state and federal levels of government, which has included the detainment of Texas students.
“What makes this decline especially notable is its timing,” the report reads. “Unlike the COVID-era drop, which was widely understood as a temporary disruption, the current contraction occurs in a period of stability. Schools are fully open, no emergency remote-learning orders are in effect, and Texas’ overall population continues to grow.”
Licata previously told the Star-Telegram that he had to revisit the district’s budget because it had been operating as if it’s been serving about 85,000-95,000 students — the enrollment it was build for — rather than the roughly 66,500 expected to enroll in the fall.
To alleviate the district’s overall budget deficit, the Board of Managers approved two separate reductions in force last month.
“We can’t change what we’ve been doing by moving pieces of the furniture around the room,” Licata said. “We have to do massive program changes, and that doesn’t mean less services. What we’re doing is more targeted, but we have to do a massive program change. We have to give them an ability to get the resources that we’ve been paying for students that we don’t have.”
This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 4:23 PM.
