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Decline in Pittsburgh Public School Enrollment Exceeds the Decline in Pittsburgh's Population October, 2008 A recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article reported that Pittsburgh Public School enrollment fell by 5.7% last year, and raised the question of whether the decline in enrollment reflected a decline in population or a reaction to unpopular changes in the Pittsburgh public schools (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08281/917964-298.stm). The U.S. Census Bureau's official population survey is conducted only once each decade, but the Census Bureau does make available interim estimates as well as yearly data on cities and towns from the American Community Survey (http://factfinder.census.gov). The Census Bureau shows a decline in Pittsburgh's population from 1990 to 2000 of 9.4%. The projected decline for years 2000 to 2007 is 6.5%. Therefore, the percentage decline in Pittsburgh public school enrollment from the 2006-07 school year to the 2007-08 school year approaches the total estimated percentage decline in Pittsburgh's population over the past seven years. Could the school age population in Pittsburgh be declining at a much faster rate than the general population in Pittsburgh? The American Community Survey estimates that there were 39,470 children age 5 through 17 living in Pittsburgh in 2005 and 37,801 children in this age group living in Pittsburgh in 2007- a decline of 4.2% over two years, or an average of 2.1% a year.* The data indicates, then, that last year's 5.7% decline in Pittsburgh public school enrollment significantly exceeds the 2.1% average yearly decline in school-age children in Pittsburgh between 2005 and 2007.

Decline in Pittsburgh Public School Enrollment Exceeds the

Decline in Pittsburgh's Population

October, 2008

A recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article reported that Pittsburgh Public School enrollment fell by 5.7% last year, and raised the question of whether the decline in enrollment reflected a decline in population or a reaction to unpopular changes in the Pittsburgh public schools (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08281/917964-298.stm).

The U.S. Census Bureau's official population survey is conducted only once each decade, but the Census Bureau does make available interim estimates as well as yearly data on cities and towns from the American Community Survey (http://factfinder.census.gov).

The Census Bureau shows a decline in Pittsburgh's population from 1990 to 2000 of 9.4%. The projected decline for years 2000 to 2007 is 6.5%. Therefore, the percentage decline in Pittsburgh public school enrollment from the 2006-07 school year to the 2007-08 school year approaches the total estimated percentage decline in Pittsburgh's population over the past seven years.

Could the school age population in Pittsburgh be declining at a much faster rate than the general population in Pittsburgh? The American Community Survey estimates that there were 39,470 children age 5 through 17 living in Pittsburgh in 2005 and 37,801 children in this age group living in Pittsburgh in 2007- a decline of 4.2% over two years, or an average of 2.1% a year.*

The data indicates, then, that last year's 5.7% decline in Pittsburgh public school enrollment significantly exceeds the 2.1% average yearly decline in school-age children in Pittsburgh between 2005 and 2007.