Education
BY ISABELLA ZEFF
RISD expected to see enrollment decline over next 10 years
Richardson ISD is expected to see continued enrollment decline over the next decade, accord- ing to a demographic report presented to the school board Feb. 19. The big picture District-wide enrollment is currently at 36,247 students for the 2025-26 school year, said Hudson Huff with Zonda Demographics. Enrollment declined by 723 students compared to last school year, with second through seventh grade experiencing the most significant drops. Huff said enrollment projections show continued decline over the next decade, with more signifi- cant drops predicted over the next several years. Zooming in Projections show the district dropping below 34,000 students in the 2031-32 school year, Huff said, due primarily to lower birth rates and the antic- ipated impact of school choice. He said enrollment
Richardson ISD enrollment
40,000
Projected enrollment decline
37,633
35,000
36,247
33,149
30,000
0
School year
SOURCE: ZONDA DEMOGRAPHICS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
begins developing its budget for fiscal year 2026-27, Superintendent Tabitha Branum said. Texas bases school funding on attendance, so a decrease in students will result in a decrease in funding.
decline could stabilize in the early 2030s. “We do believe that we will start to stabilize, but we need some of those earlier grade group levels to start leveling out and picking back up,” Huff said. Enrollment numbers are a key data point as RISD
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