Wyoming Reports Decrease in Public School Enrollment for First Time in 10 Years
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming has seen its first drop in student enrollment in more than a decade, with state data showing public schools lost more than 700 students in the past year.
The state Department of Education figures, collected in October, show the decrease in enrollment accounted for less than 1 percent of Wyoming's student population. The state currently has about 93,000 students.
The department's report says only 18 of the state's 48 school districts experienced growth in the last year.
The areas that recorded enrollment decreases were in parts of the state that rely on energy production, including Campbell County. But spokeswoman Kari Eakins says the department isn't correlating economic factors, such as the recent energy downturn, with decreased enrollment.