Oklahoma’s student enrollment to grow by 6 percent

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The U.S. Department of Education projects Oklahoma’s pre-K through 12th grade student enrollment to grow by 6 percent over the next decade, adding an additional 41,000 students to the financially-strained public school system.

The Oklahoman reports that the increase is a slight slowdown from the 9 percent increase the state’s public school system experienced over the past decade.

Enrollment is important to funding the state’s schools. The schools rely on money that’s dispersed through the state aid formula on a per-student basis. Oklahoma’s per-student spending average of nearly $8,000 combines all local, state and federal sources. It’s one of the lowest rates in the nation.

Oklahoma’s enrollment growth has been mostly driven by Hispanic students, a population that has grown by nearly 90 percent over the past 10 years with an additional 56,000 students.