More High School Students than Ever Before

In the next 10 years (see Figure 4), the most rapid enrollment increases will take place in America's high schools and colleges and universities. Put simply, the children who make up the baby boom echo are getting older. Many of America's high schools will face years of intense pressure as they seek to ease overcrowding while raising standards of achievement for all of their students.

Between 1999 and 2009, secondary school enrollment will increase by 9 percent and the number of high school graduates will increase by 16 percent. Secondary school enrollment will rise from 14.9 million in 1999 to 16.2 million in 2009, an increase of 1.3 million high school students. The state of California will lead the rise in enrollment as it seeks to educate an additional 261,000 high school students (Table 7). Texas and Illinois will also see significant increases in their high school populations.

High school enrollment will increase by 50 percent in the state of Nevada, which will see a 77 percent jump in the number of high school graduates. Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina will encounter increases of over 20 percent in high school enrollment. As Figure 7 indicates, every region in the country will be facing enrollment increases in secondary education between 1999 and 2009.

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