Tulsa Public Schools enrollment is up 1,300 students since the district’s February return to in-person classes, more than 40% of students the district lost at the start of the year.
Enrollment fell by about 3,000 at the start of the year, and TPS officials largely blamed the COVID-19 pandemic. According to district figures, Black and Latinx students account for the largest part of the enrollment increase the past two months after making up most of the decrease at the start of the year.
Most of the students TPS enrolled since mid-February either left during distance learning or were classified as dropouts because they quit attending class.
TPS Chief Operations Officer Jorge Robles credited the district's commitment to safety measures for helping to bring families back.
While enrollment is up across all grade levels, pre-K enrollment is not increasing at the same rate as other grades.
"In general, pre-K enrollment lags other enrollment. Even in a normal year, you see that when we have our enrollment windows, usually families enrolling their students in pre-K do it later and do it throughout several months, including the summer," Robles said.
Robles also said applications during the district’s initial enrollment window were up 5% from last year, and there will be a second opportunity for families starting April 26.
"We’re making some significant investments on summer programming and enrichment programs for our students throughout the summer. We’ll have free before and after care all of next year, and [we’re] investing in tutoring and after-school support for our students," Robles said. "So, we’re really trying to help families see all the things that we’re putting in place to support students’ recovery from the impacts of the pandemic."
The district's second enrollment window will be open through May 28. Families will be able to list only two schools, however, instead of six as they could during the first enrollment window.
