Kern County Times

In the 2023-24 school year, fourth grade was the largest grade in Beardsley Elementary School District, with 240 students making up 12.3% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 1.3% compared to the previous year.

The grades with the second highest number of students were kindergarten and second grade, with 233 students each.

The school that had the highest number of fourth grade students in Beardsley Elementary School District during the period was North Beardsley Elementary School, while San Lauren Elementary School had the fewest.

Overall, Beardsley Elementary School District enrolled 1,945 students, ranking as the 483rd highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 484th 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
Beardsley Elementary School	404
Beardsley Junior High School	380
North Beardsley Elementary School	767
San Lauren Elementary School	394