Merced Times

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in Winton School District, with 248 students making up 13.3% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a decline of 1.1% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was first grade, with 225 students, or 12% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of kindergarten students in Winton School District during the period was Winfield Elementary School, while Sybil N. Crookham Elementary School had the fewest.

Overall, Winton School District enrolled 1,868 students, ranking as the 487th lowest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 487th highest in the previous school year.

California's public schools face a growing financial crisis driven by declining enrollment and an increase in chronic absenteeism, both impacting the state's school funding model.

Enrollment, which peaked at 6.3 million students in the early 2000s, has steadily declined to under 6 million today, with projections indicating it could fall below 5.2 million by 2032. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.

At the same time, chronic absenteeism has surged from 12% pre-pandemic to 25%, disproportionately impacting younger students and jeopardizing their long-term success.

School	Total Enrollment
Frank Sparkes Elementary School	436
Sybil N. Crookham Elementary School	372
Winfield Elementary School	454
Winton Middle School	606