San Juan Unified enrollment drops by 1,200 students, far more than projected

San Juan Unified School District lost about 1,200 students this school year, a much steeper drop than officials had expected.

In numbers released to CBS News Sacramento on Monday, the district counted roughly 38,200 students on the eighth day of the 2026-27 school year – down from about 39,400 at the same point last year.

Officials had projected enrollment would fall by only about 300 students.

San Juan Unified officials said they are still digging into the numbers to understand why the decline was so much larger than expected.

The district has dealt with declining enrollment for years, driven in part by broader demographic trends. More recently, that drop had been softened by refugee and newcomer families settling in the community.

"With changes in federal immigration and refugee resettlement policies, we are no longer seeing the same level of new student enrollment from refugee families," the district said.

Still, officials cautioned against pointing to any one reason for this year's sharper decline as they continue analyzing the data.

San Juan Unified continues to offer enrollment and support services for newcomer and refugee families, officials noted, including orientation programs aimed at helping families navigate local schools.