Public schools have lost more than 1 million students since the COVID-19 pandemic, new data show, with the steepest declines in blue states that lack school choice.
Hawaii, Mississippi, Oregon, West Virginia and New Hampshire all lost more than 6% of their public school enrollment between 2020 and 2024. Close behind are New York and New Mexico, which each lost 5.9%. Of these states, only West Virginia and New Hampshire have school choice – and they are the only ones with Republican governors.
