Menlo Park, CA: "Dwindling enrollment," MORE SPED students
- The end of childhood
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
April 22, 2025, Menlo Park, The Almanac: Menlo Park school update on enrollment and special education
Dwindling enrollment could lead to fewer classes
Menlo Park public schools are preparing for lower enrollment and are recognizing more students who need special education services.
During a recent Menlo Park City School District meeting, the school board was presented with the annual preliminary enrollment data and special education update.
Dwindling enrollment
From transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, enrollment is expected to decrease by 55 students in the 2025-26 school year, a decrease of about 2 percent, according to Superintendent Kristen Gracia. However, these numbers will change closer to the start of the school year in August, she clarified.
Decreasing birth rates paired with California’s high cost of living is leading to lower enrollment rates across the state, said Gracia. California’s Department of Finance projects a decline of over 500,000 students over the next decade if current trends of infertility and migration continue.
As of April, MPCSD anticipates a decline in enrollment for TK, kindergarten, second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth grade.
The 2024-25 school year has a total enrollment of 2,702 students and the anticipated enrollment for the following year is 2,647. Population statistic experts project a student population of 2,584. Since 2019, the total number of students has decreased by more than 200.
Tracking anticipated enrollment is necessary for the district to plan the number of classes per grade level, for budgeting, staffing, program planning and more. With the current estimated number of students, the district projects it will reduce three classes between TK and fifth grade, said Gracia.
“We are being conservative when making these decisions as we manage the constraints of our budget,” she added. . . .
Special education update
Over the past six years, the percentage of Menlo Park students with an Individualized Education Program has steadily increased to about 9%, which is lower than the state average of 13%.
“We want to make sure we’re identifying any student that may need the services, so I don’t see the increase in special education as an issue,” said Stephanie Sheridan, assistant superintendent of student services.
Across the country, about 7 million children ages 3 to 21 received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That is about 15% of all public school students, according to Sheridan.
Nationally, the most common type of disability reported in students involves specific learning disabilities. Those may include dyslexia and difficulties writing and doing math. . . .
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