According to new data from the Utah State Board of Education, enrollment growth in Utah’s public schools is starting to dwindle.

According to data released by the USBE on Wednesday, Utah added 299 students to its public school system in 2022. This was a 0.04% increase in students that brought total student enrollment statewide to 674,650.

This is in contrast to the 1.3% increase in student enrollment that followed the pandemic in 2021.

Utah’s charter schools saw a more significant increase in enrollment. In Utah, charter schools are open to the public, funded by the public and accountable to the public, making them a part of the public school system.

Charter schools added 946 students, a 1.2% increase from 2021. Charter schools now account for almost 12% of statewide public school enrollment with 78,732 students.

Utah County’s Alpine School District maintained its spot as the state’s largest with 84,666 students, followed by Davis School District with 71,564, Granite School District with 59,121, Jordan School District with 57,829, and Washington School District with 36,623.

Students struggle post-pandemic

The data released by the USBE on Wednesday also revealed that more students are facing challenges outside of the classroom than last year.

According to the data, the number of students who are considered economically disadvantaged grew by 1,992 or 2.5% between 2021 and 2022. The number of students who are homeless grew by 936 or 10.4% over the same time period.

Inside the classroom, student test scores are still falling.

According to an Oct. 24 press release from the USBE, fourth grade reading scores fell from 219 to 216 in 2019, and eighth grades reading scores fell from 267 to 265. However, Utah fourth graders still ranked seventh place in reading in the nation, and Utah eighth graders ranked third best in the nation.

“Utah students demonstrated remarkable resiliency during the pandemic relative to other students in the nation,” Sydnee Dickson, state superintendent of instruction, said in a statement. “However, aspects of learning, like many other aspects of our lives, were negatively impacted. Teachers, parents, and students are aware of the changes in academic performance but can take heart in the additional efforts taking place to help all students be better prepared for successful outcomes and opportunities.”

Utah’s average ACT score also dropped in 2022 from 20.6 to 19.9, but still beat the national average of 19.8. The total number of Utah students taking the ACT rose by 8.6%, or 3,401 students, in 2022.

“We are pleased to see a rebound, even if not a full rebound, in the number of Utah students taking the ACT,” Dickson said in an Oct. 12 press release. “It’s important for us as a state to see how college-ready our students are. It is even more important that each student in the state see how college-ready she or he is.”

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