Greenburgh Central School District Enrollment in the 21st Century: A School District in Transition

Takeaways:

1.   From 2000 to 2023, Greenburgh Central School District (GC) K-12 enrollment declined 19%: from 1,893 students in 2000-01 to 1,527 in the current school year.   During this same period, adjacent school districts had enrollment increases: Edgemont +15%; Elmsford +15%; Ardsley +7%; White Plains +6%. 

2.  GC's enrollment decrease is led by a steep drop in K-12 students identified by the district as Black: a 56% decrease from '02-'03 (1,074 students /57% of total enrollment) through the current school year (473 students/ 31% of total enrollment). 

3.  Unlike a similar drop in "white" enrollment (which mostly occured in a short period from '00-'01 to '03-'04) during the time period examined, the decline in Black enrollment has been steady since '02-'03 (declining in 18 of the past 20 school years)  suggesting not "flight" but a myriad of complex factors discouraging young families from remaining or moving into the school district, including housing prices, cost of living for working families, and school district reputation, etc.  

4.  The number of students identified as Latino/Hispanic (according to NYS Education Department definitions) has grown, although not entirely steadily, from 298 students (16% of total enrollment ) in '00-'01 to 737 (48% of total enrollment) in the current school year. Assuming current trends persist, GC will have a majority Hispanic enrollment in the coming school year or two.  This milestone becomes significant when reflecting on the apparent lack of Hispanic representation on the district school board (one member) or in school district admiinstration and senior leadership.    

5.  NYS Education Dept's statistic tracking "economically disadvantaged" students has varied from 47% to 64% of GC's enrollment over the past dozen years.  NYSED definitions for this category have changed over the past two decades, however, making long-term trends difficult to infer.  

6. Students with disabilites (per NYSED definition) have varied from 15% to 19% of K-12 enrollment since '05-'06, and is currently 16%.

source: https://data.nysed.gov; current year

Note:  

1. Although these categories may be awkward and even offensive, NYSED guidelines define students as: 1. American Indian or Alaska Native; 2. Black or African American, 3. Hispanic or Latino, 4. Asian or Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander, 5. white, or 6 Multiracial.  Multiracial was added in the 2000s and its use varies widely among school disticts. It is a growing catetory in GC and currently accounts for 42 (2.7%) of K-12 students. 

2. It should be noted that GC had a K-12 enrollment increase of 20 students from 21-22 (1,507) to the current school year (1,527). 

3. At least in recent years, departure for non-public schools has not caused GC enrollment declines.  Private/parochial/home school enrollment among school-age children residing within the Greenburgh Central school district has also declined in recent years:  e.g., from 577 in '16-'17 to 437 in '21-'22.  

4.  Greenburgh Central historic enrollment K-12 (post-merger)  the 80s saw nationwide school enrollment declines after the late 60s/early 70s "baby bust.."  Unlike nearby districts, however, where enrollment boomed in the 90s, GC only recovered a small portion of it's earlier losses. 

.