SFUSD's Enrollment Decline Is Primarily a COVID Story, Not a Quality Story

The dominant narrative — that families are "fleeing" a troubled SFUSD — is largely incorrect. San Francisco already had fewer children per capita than any other major U.S. city before the pandemic. COVID accelerated the departure of families with young children specifically in response to school closures. Enrollment has stabilized post-COVID, but many of those families are not coming back. The data does not support a story of quality-driven flight.