Tulare Times

In the 2023-24 school year, sixth grade was the largest grade in Monson-Sultana Joint Union Elementary School District, with 54 students making up 12.5% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 0.4% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was seventh grade, with 53 students, or 12.2% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of sixth grade students in Monson-Sultana Joint Union Elementary School District during the period was Monson-Sultana Elementary School.

Overall, Monson-Sultana Joint Union Elementary School District enrolled 433 students, ranking as the 267th lowest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It also ranked 267th lowest 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
Monson-Sultana Elementary School	433