A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

A Back to School Special Report on the Baby Boom Echo: America's Schools Are Overcrowded and Wearing Out -- (September 8, 1998)

Figure 2. -- Enrollment in public and private elementary and secondary schools: Fall 1968 to fall 2008

In fall 1998, public and private school enrollment is projected to surpass the previous high of 1997, and is expected to increase every year through 2006.

From fall 1972 to fall 1984, total elementary and secondary school enrollment decreased every year, reflecting a decline in the school-age population over that period.

From fall 1985 to fall 1998, the pattern changed again as enrollment increased significantly at the elementary school level. Elementary school enrollment is projected to continue growing slowly through 2002, and then decline slightly, ending at about the same level in 2008 as in 1998. In contrast, secondary school enrollment is expected to rise by 11 percent between 1998 and 2008, from 14.6 million to 16.2 million, as current elementary school students move into high school.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 1997; and Projections of Education Statistics to 2008.


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[ Figure 1. -- Annual number of births, with projections: 1948 to 2018 ] [ Table of Contents ] [ Figure 3. -- Change in number of students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, by grade span: Fall 1998 to fall 2008 ]

Last Updated -- September 7, 1998, (pjk)