Demographics
One in 18 Colorado Students Now Identifies as Multiracial
Multiracial enrollment surged 41% in a decade, adding 14,096 students even as Colorado's schools shrank. The category now outnumbers Black students statewide.
Colorado Education News & Data
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Equity
Three in Four Denver Homeless Students Are Chronically Absent
Denver Public Schools' student who is currently homeless chronic absenteeism rate hit 76.2% in 2024-25, worsening by 5 points as the district's equity gaps widened across nearly every subgroup.
Enrollment
Six Suburban Giants All Hit Record Lows
Denver's six largest suburban districts have lost a combined 35,776 students from their peaks. All six hit all-time lows in 2025-26.
District Spotlight
Colorado Springs D11: From 29% to 46% Chronic Absenteeism in a Single Year
Colorado Springs District 11 saw chronic absenteeism surge 16.6 percentage points in one year, the largest swing among any large Colorado district, with more than half of Black and Hispanic students now chronically absent.
Absence
Colorado's Attendance Recovery Just Reversed. The State's 2028 Goal Is Now Unreachable.
After two years of accelerating improvement, Colorado's chronic absenteeism rate ticked back up to 28.5% in 2025, putting the state's goal of 15% by 2027-28 out of reach.
Demographics
Native American Enrollment Falls 22% in Colorado, Steepest of Any Group
Native American students in Colorado public schools dropped from 6,420 to 4,974 over 11 years, declining nearly twice as fast as white enrollment.
School Choice
Colorado's Charter Sector Hits a Wall at 16%
Colorado's charter schools doubled their market share in a decade, but growth has collapsed to 0.3%, raising questions about the sector's ceiling.
Covid Impact
Three in Four Colorado Districts Never Recovered from COVID
Only 49 of 184 Colorado districts have returned to pre-COVID enrollment. The state is 72,839 students below its pre-pandemic trajectory.
District Spotlight
District 27J adds 7,187 students as Denver's northern suburbs absorb the growth
District 27J in Brighton grew 42% since 2015, making it Colorado's fastest-growing traditional district even as the state lost nearly 18,000 students.
Demographics
White Kindergartners Down 21% in a Decade
Colorado lost 7,400 white kindergartners since 2016 while Hispanic K enrollment barely moved, collapsing a 13,000-student gap to 6,174.
Enrollment
Half of Colorado's Districts Just Hit All-Time Lows
81 of 186 Colorado school districts recorded their lowest enrollment in 12 years in 2025-26, including Jefferson County, Douglas County, and Cherry Creek.
Virtual Schools
28,000 Students, No Buildings
Three virtual operators now enroll more students than Colorado Springs 11, reshaping state enrollment data and raising oversight questions.
District Spotlight
Jefferson County Has Lost 12,521 Students in 10 Years
Colorado's second-largest district has declined every year since 2016, closing 21 schools and facing a $49 million deficit.
Enrollment
Colorado Hits All-Time Low as 10,000 Students Vanish
Colorado public schools lost 10,272 students in 2025-26, the largest non-COVID drop on record, pushing enrollment to its lowest point in more than a decade.
Demographics
No Single Majority: White Students Drop Below 50% in Colorado
White students fell below 50% of Colorado public school enrollment for the first time in 2024-25, as the state's demographic transformation reshapes classrooms from Denver suburbs to the Western Slope.
