Orange County Student Enrollment Drops Two Years in a Row

After increasing enrollment for 20 years,The Orange County Register reports:

For students at Washington Elementary in Santa Ana, an 8 percent drop in enrollment this year might mean just a bit more breathing room.

With fewer students at one of the county's most overcrowded schools, portable classrooms were moved out to make way for bigger playgrounds and ball fields.

But for Santa Ana Unified, a two-year districtwide drop in enrollment could lead to the loss of more than $13 million in state funding, meaning another round of budget cuts is likely for the cash-strapped district.

Across Orange County, more than a dozen other districts are also dealing with the same trend as thousands of families move inland to escape soaring housing costs. Those districts have also lost millions in funding and are considering closing campuses, cutting programs or laying off teachers to balance their books.

It's the second straight year that enrollment has fallen countywide after more than 20 years of steady increases. Since the 2003-04 school year, 18 of 27 districts have lost a combined 9,343 students.

Great moments in Blue America.High costs means less families.This is just the beginning of a trend unless California has a huge drop in real estate values.