Fresno Unified enrollment drops by nearly 1,000. See how that compares to previous years
Fresno Unified — the state’s third-largest school district — saw a drop in student enrollment of nearly 1,000 ahead of the 2025-26 school year, according to data released from the California Department of Education on Thursday.
The district’s annual enrollment report totaled 70,163 students for the current school year. That compares to 71,151 last year, or a decline of 988 students.
Annual CDE data going back to 2014 shows declines for all but three years. The largest drop previously was 962 students from 2019-20 to 2020-21, a period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by another significant drop of 898 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24.
Funding for California school districts is largely determined by average daily attendance, and Bellwether — a nonprofit focused on education policy — says funding is directly impacted by enrollment changes.
“Often, declining enrollment prompts budget realignments to ensure the number of staff, schools, and programs are aligned with enrollment,” the nonprofit says.
In February, trustees approved plans to send layoff notices to 274 employees, though the decision won’t be finalized until next year’s budget is approved in June.
