Enrollment in Alabama schools plunges by nearly 6,000 students – a 40-year low, officials say

Families in Alabama may be protesting the condition of public education simply by voting with their feet, a new report suggests.

K-12 enrollment fell by 5,800 students in the 2025-26 academic year in “the biggest enrollment drop in 40 years,” the Alabama Reflector reported.

“We have essentially 2,100 kids that were enrolled last year that just didn’t show up,” the state’s superintendent Eric Mackey said at a recent board meeting. “They didn’t transfer to private school, they didn’t go to home school, they didn’t go to school in another state. They just disappeared.” 

Public-school officials had been anticipating a drop in enrollment because of demographic changes and the CHOOSE Act, which was signed into law last year. 

As previously reported by The Lion, this school choice program allowed families to apply for up to $7,000 per student in education savings accounts (ESAs). 

“In just the first year, our state’s ESA program is incredibly popular, providing opportunity, flexibility and choice when it comes to our children’s education,” said Gov. Kay Ivey in a July statement. “I am excited to see the program in action this year.” 

Mirroring a national landscape 

Alabama’s numbers reflect a trend nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, where public-school enrollment has fallen by about 1.28 million students. 

The pandemic caused many families to change to other educational alternatives such as microschools and homeschooling, according to analysis from the National Center for Education Statistics and Reason Foundation. 

Parents in Alabama are no exception, said Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville. 

“I think we have about 3000 kids equipped from public schools to private or home school,” he told the Reflector. “And I think, on the national landscape, you’re seeing more people consider homeschooling and microschooling and charter schools and things like that. I think that will continue.” 

As a result of declining enrollment, schools may reduce the number of open teacher positions for future school years. 

“Teacher units awarded by the state are based upon the average daily membership (student enrollment) of a school for the first 20 days after Labor Day,” said Ryan Hollingsworth, executive director of School Superintendents of Alabama, in a statement. 

“With the loss of students this fall, our schools will earn less state teacher units for the fall of 26. This could be extremely challenging if the loss is concentrated in one or two schools within the district instead of district-wide.” 

However, Garrett argued the national teacher shortage is already affecting jobs more significantly than any enrollment declines. 

“I’m speculating somewhat,” he said, “but I don’t believe we should see a massive impact on the number of teachers because right now we have a teacher shortage.”