New Mexico’s stark decline in public school enrollment

RGF has for years been raising concerns about the State’s rapidly-aging population and declining youth population. There have always been challenges like: the State’s high poverty, poor education system, crime, lack of jobs or a diversified economy, and more.

But in recent years another issue of concern has cropped up and that’s the “birth dearth” that has seen a decline in babies being born both in the US and in many other industrialized countries. The issue (along with New Mexico’s manifest education failures) has already caused public school enrollment in New Mexico to plummet.  But you haven’t seen anything yet. With an accelerating trend toward fewer births, New Mexico’s population of young people is about to plummet even faster.

The following charts use data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The first shows that while New Mexico’s public school enrollment peaked at nearly 340,000 it has declined somewhat since then, but is projected to decline far more quickly as we head to 2031.

Using the same data, New Mexico’s projected decline in public school enrollment is expected to be far greater than the national average of 5.5%. It is worse than all other states besides California and Hawaii. New Mexico’s student enrollment decline far outpaces any of its neighbors. The youth are New Mexico’s future. If you think that things in New Mexico are going well, this should disabuse you of the notion.

New Mexico is hemorrhaging young people DESPITE “free” statewide pre-K and “free” college.

KRQE Channel 13 recently did a podcast on the State’s declining population. It is worth a listen below: