Columbia kinders head back to school Thursday as national enrollment surge is expected

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools kindergartners start school Thursday in-seat and nationwide officials are expecting a surge in students this year.

Some school districts across the United States even started hiring additional teachers in anticipation of one of the largest kindergarten classes ever.

Across the country, many school districts saw significant drops in kindergarten enrollment in 2020, an average 16% decrease since some families chose home schooling or decided to hold their kids back a year.

According to data from CPS, there were 286 fewer kindergartners last year. In the 2019/2020 school year, 1,451 kinders were enrolled at CPS, then during the pandemic that number dropped to 1,165.

Nationwide, some teachers are expecting kindergartners to be less prepared going into the school year after setbacks due to the pandemic over the past year, and lower preschool attendance rates.

Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University found that the number of 4-year-olds participating in preschool fell from 71% before the pandemic to 54% during the pandemic.

This year CPS leaders are excited to have students back in the classroom. Superintendent Brian Yearwood said, "I am thankful for dedicated staff who will ensure that the coming school year is one filled with learning, engagement, and success for our students."

Columbia Public Schools is welcoming back approximately 19,000 students and nearly 3,000 employees across the school district.