Tulare Times

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in Lindsay Unified School District, with 403 students making up 10.1% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 1% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was 11th grade, with 347 students, or 8.7% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of kindergarten students in Lindsay Unified School District during the period was Washington Elementary School, while Reagan Elementary School had the fewest.

Overall, Lindsay Unified School District enrolled 3,987 students, ranking as the 329th highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 327th 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
Jefferson Elementary School	381
John J. Cairns Continuation	72
Kennedy Elementary School	360
Lincoln Elementary School	384
Lindsay Community Day	19
Lindsay Senior High School	1,109
Loma Vista Charter	43
Reagan Elementary School	373
Roosevelt Elementary School	502
Washington Elementary School	744