Oklahoma Public School Enrollment: New Data Shows Where Students Returned

Thousands of Oklahoma students returned to public schools for the fall of 2021 – the third school year impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

There were a total of 698,696 students in pre-K through 12th grades, according to enrollment data released Wednesday by the state Department of Education. That’s a 0.66% increase over the fall of 2020, but below the all-time high of 703,650 set in 2019, before COVID-19 disruptions.

Here are five trends seen in the latest data.

Schools Saw an Influx Of Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Students

In 2020, many parents held off on sending children to pre-K and kindergarten. Many schools were starting the year with distance learning or were relying more heavily on virtual programs, which can be difficult for the youngest students. Pre-K is optional and Oklahoma allows parents to delay kindergarten entry by a year if desired.

But in 2021, those grades began to rebound. Pre-K enrollment rose to 38,010 students, from 37,144 the previous year. Similarly, kindergarten enrollment increased to 51,272, from 50,351 the year before.

Hundreds of Districts Rebounded to Pre-Pandemic Enrollment

In Oklahoma, most school districts experienced an increase in enrollment in the fall of 2021, and in more than 200 districts, student counts were above pre-COVID numbers from the fall of 2019.

Take Bridge Creek Public Schools, 12 miles south of Mustang in Grady County. The district had 1,674 students in the fall of 2019, and 2020’s count was only three fewer. This year, the district reported an increase of more than 100 students.

Nationally, many school districts — especially larger ones — reported a second year of enrollment losses, according to a Dec. 15 NPR story. Oklahoma appears to be bucking that trend.

Virtual Charter Schools Reported Large Losses

In 2020, students flocked to virtual charter schools. Many did not return this year.

Most of those enrollment losses were at Epic Charter Schools, which saw enrollment decline 35% at its two models — a loss of more than 21,000 students. But its combined fall 2021 enrollment of 38,334 still makes it the largest school system in the state, and total enrollment is well above 2019 numbers.

Virtual charter schools reported 22,594 fewer students in 2021, compared to 2020. Our count includes Epic Blended, which uses the same online model as Epic One on One, though a small number of students also attend physical sites.

Tulsa is the Largest Urban District Now

For the first time since 2013, Tulsa Public Schools reported more students than Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Tulsa enrolled 33,211 students in 2021, up from 32,569 in 2020, but below its pre-pandemic count of 35,675 in 2019. Oklahoma City enrolled 32,086 in 2021, up from 31,026 in 2020 but below its pre-pandemic count of 35,897 in 2019.

Students attending charter schools sponsored by the districts are counted separately.

Charter Schools Experienced an Uptick in Enrollment

Oklahoma’s charter school sector has continued to grow through the pandemic. Charters enrolled a combined 15,256 students in 2021, excluding virtual charters and a school for incarcerated youth run by the Office of Juvenile Affairs. That’s up by more than 600 students from 2020, and an increase of nearly 2,500 from 2019, though still representing about 2% of all enrollment.

Two new charter schools opened this year: Western Gateway Elementary in Oklahoma City and Comanche Academy in Lawton. Both are language immersion schools.