Enrollment is up in OUSD for the first time in 8 years. Can it be sustained?

"After years of flat or declining enrollment, student numbers have ticked up for the 2025-2026 school year in the Oakland Unified School District. Census day is the first Wednesday in October, when OUSD and other California districts submit a snapshot of their enrollment to the state for official counts. While enrollment fluctuates throughout the year, census day counts are what the state uses for funding allocations."

"This year, that number is 34,135 - 673 students higher than the district's initial projections. Last year, OUSD's official enrollment count was 33,838, according to state records. "One year of data does not make a trend line," said Kilian Betlach, OUSD's executive director of enrollment. But he said he and other OUSD officials are cautiously optimistic about the modest gains."

"The numbers may be revised after an audit by the time the state releases the official counts in the spring, but the increase could mean several million more dollars in funding for the cash-strapped district. It is also an indication that the strategies OUSD has pursued for stabilizing and increasing enrollment may have been effective, at a time when birth rates are down, families are leaving Oakland, and school districts across the country are facing declining enrollment - and bracing for school closures."

"Betlach, who has been in his role since 2022, attributes the numbers to a few things: Since 2021, OUSD has invested at least $5 million to increase enrollment office staffing and develop new ways to market the district's schools. The district launched a podcast, " Grow With Us," that Betlach hosts. Bus and billboard ads feature photos of Oakland students reading or playing at school, inviting the public to consider enrolling with OUSD."

Oakland Unified’s census-day enrollment for 2025-2026 reached 34,135 students, 673 more than initial projections and up from last year’s 33,838. Census-day counts determine state funding allocations and may be adjusted after an audit before the official spring release. The increase could provide several million dollars to the district. Officials remain cautiously optimistic while noting demographic headwinds such as lower birth rates and families leaving Oakland. Since 2021, the district invested at least $5 million to expand enrollment staffing and marketing efforts, launched outreach campaigns, and reviewed enrollment processes to improve access.

Read at The Oaklandside