SLO Reporter

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in San Miguel Joint Union School District, with 96 students making up 15% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a decline of 2.9% compared to the previous year.

The grades with the second highest number of students were first grade and fifth grade, with 78 students each.

The school that had the highest number of kindergarten students in San Miguel Joint Union School District during the period was Lillian Larsen Elementary School, while Cappy Culver Elementary School had the fewest.

Overall, San Miguel Joint Union School District enrolled 641 students, ranking as the 326th lowest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 328th lowest in the previous school year.

California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.

School	Total Enrollment
Cappy Culver Elementary School	214
Lillian Larsen Elementary School	427