Public school enrollment in Los Angeles is falling fast—and nowhere is the decline more visible than in Koreatown, where some elementary schools have lost more than half their students over the past decade.
According to the California Department of Education, 5,806,221 students are enrolled in TK–12 across the state for the 2024–2025 school year. That’s down 8%, or 474,014 students, from the 2016–2017 academic year. In Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)—the nation’s second-largest district—enrollment has dropped by 20% over ten years.
The decline is especially acute in Koreatown, where elementary schools are losing students at a significantly higher rate than elsewhere in the city.
At Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a Korean-English dual language program, enrollment fell from 567 to 355 students over the past ten years—a 37% drop. Nearby schools show similar or worse declines:
- Hobart Boulevard Elementary now has 420 students, down nearly 40% over the past decade
- Charles H. Kim Elementary: from 700 to 483 (31% drop)
- Wilton Place Elementary: from 780 to 297 (62% drop)
- Robert F. Kennedy Elementary: from 433 to 170 (60% drop)
- Mariposa-Nabi Primary Center: from 254 to 85 (67% drop)
- Wilshire Park Elementary: from 564 to 329 (41% drop)
“These aren’t just numbers—they represent whole classrooms disappearing year after year,” said Jennifer Kim, a teacher in LAUSD. “We’re seeing the effects of low birth rates, fewer immigrants, and sky-high housing costs pushing families out of the city.”
The trend is affecting early education as well. Julie Cho, director of Beverly Christian Preschool in Koreatown, said her program has seen enrollment stay around 50% of capacity for several years. “What’s happening in elementary schools is already hitting preschools,” she said. “It won’t stop there—middle and high school numbers are going to drop too.”
With fewer students, LAUSD may be forced to close or consolidate schools—just as other cities have done. Scott Schmerelson, a member of the LA Board of Education, told KQED that the district needs to begin serious discussions about school closures or mergers, given the direct impact on state funding formulas.
Alberto Carvalho, LAUSD Superintendent, said in an interview with The 74 that the district is considering other uses for under-enrolled schools. “Other districts have repurposed classrooms into child care or after-school centers,” he said. “We need to explore options before shutting anything down.”
Not all schools are shrinking. In wealthier or academically strong districts, enrollment has remained stable—or even increased slightly. At Monte Vista Elementary School in La Crescenta, where many students are Korean American, enrollment rose from 694 to 721. Other schools showing relative stability include:
- Laguna Road Elementary (Fullerton): from 674 to 623
- Sunset Lane Elementary (Fullerton): from 793 to 700
- Robert C. Fisler School (Fullerton): from 900 to 892
- Cerritos Elementary (Cerritos): from 692 to 612
- Turtle Rock Elementary (Irvine): from 923 to 881
- Stonegate Elementary (Irvine): from 1,037 to 1,122
Heon-Sung Yoo, a sociologist at UCLA, said the drop in Koreatown enrollment reflects a broader shift in the Korean American community’s residential patterns. “In the past, Korean immigrants would start in Koreatown before moving out to places like Orange County,” he explained. “Now, with more access to information and higher incomes, Korean American families are expanding beyond Koreatown into other areas.”
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
