MassBudget: Enrollment Decline and Fiscal Pressure in Massachusetts Public Schools

Since FY 2019, statewide public school enrollment has declined by nearly 50,000 students, placing school districts under growing financial pressure because school funding is closely tied to student enrollment. 

A new report from Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center’s (MassBudget) Anthony Clough, Education Policy Analyst, examines how declining student enrollment is affecting school districts across Massachusetts and pays close attention to the disproportionate decline in English Learner enrollment across the Commonwealth. The report finds that English Learner enrollment now accounts for nearly half of the statewide enrollment decline. The analysis explores how these changes are impacting Gateway Cities, rural districts, and other communities with limited local fiscal capacity to absorb the resulting decreases in state funds for education.

Clough outlines both short-term and long-term policy recommendations, including targeted stabilization funding for districts experiencing steep enrollment declines and a broader review of the state’s school funding formula. At a time of increasing uncertainty for schools, this report highlights the importance of protecting fiscal stability and educational equity across Massachusetts. 

Read the full report - (PDF) - https://massbudget.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/5.13.26.-Enrollment-Decline-and-Fiscal-Pressure-in-Massachusetts-Public-Schools.-A-Focus-on-English-Learners-Combined-with-Summary.pdf