SACRAMENTO—California’s public school enrollment is on a steady decline for the fifth year in a row with about 110,000 fewer students amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Education (CDE) announced on April 11.

The state enrollment for the 2021–22 school year is about 5.89 million, down from 6 million in the previous year, according to the CDE.

“We see that the COVID-19 disruptions are playing a large part in negating the steady enrollment gains over the last decade,” the CDE said in a statement.

Large urban districts in the state account for nearly a third of the drop, according to the CDE.

To combat the decline, the CDE suggests the state’s attention should turn towards transitional kindergarten and kindergarten enrollment, as well as providing greater engagement for high school students.

Grades 1, 4, 7, and 9 are witnessing the largest decline, according to the CDE.

The decline has been occurring since the 2014–15 school year and is foreseen to continue.

However, the drop in enrollment is not solely in California as national data trends report a consistent drop nationwide.