Chico Times

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in Oroville City Elementary School District, with 325 students making up 12.5% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a decline of 0.9% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was third grade, with 313 students, or 12% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of kindergarten students in Oroville City Elementary School District during the period was Ophir Elementary School, while Wyandotte Academy had the fewest.

Overall, Oroville City Elementary School District enrolled 2,599 students, ranking as the 426th highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 423rd highest in the previous school year.

California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.

School	Total Enrollment
Central Middle School	325
Ishi Hills Middle School	335
Oakdale Heights Elementary School	278
Ophir Elementary School	441
Stanford Avenue Elementary School	418
Wyandotte Academy	258