The surge in immigrants arriving in Colorado last year softened the enrollment decline in the state’s public schools, which for years have been losing students — and funding — as birth rates fall across the nation.

Options” are being cited as a reason for continued declines in public school enrollment in Colorado, amid the state education department's Wednesday release of official enrollment for this academic year.

Fewer students are enrolled in public schools across Colorado, according to data from the state's October 2024 student count released by the Colorado Department of Education.

New data also show the student body is becoming increasingly diverse, while the number of multilingual learners increased significantly.