1. As part of our foundational district information dataset Burbio delivers state and district-level enrollment data, sourced from Federal reporting and integrated into every layer of our district analysis and policy dashboards. In our Tracker two weeks ago we noted that the Covid-era enrollment declines of City locales had abated somewhat. This week we review one-year and five-year enrollment trends for the largest City locale districts. The five-year period compares to 2019-20, just before Covid-19 disrupted schooling.
We start with the top 25 districts, and feature districts 26-50 at the bottom of this email. While 22 of the largest 25 City districts have lost enrollment over the last five years, 13 of those top 25 districts gained enrollment in the most recently reported year:
In our final segment we review districts 26-50.
2. Burbio's Signals Tracker reads and summarizes millions of pages of district discussions for clients who use the information to identify immediate selling opportunities. The signals can be pulled into CRMs via API and combined with client's proprietary AI models. This week we examined hundreds of recent district meetings for discussions of ELL programs that districts are deploying. Here are trends we identified:
Implementation of High-Dosage and Targeted Tutoring to bridge achievement gaps. These programs often take place after school, on Saturdays, or during the summer and can involve partnerships with external organizations.
Investment in Digital Learning Platforms and Hardware: Use of specialized digital software and hardware to support language acquisition and ensure equitable access. Hardware supports include translation pens, home-language keyboards, and translation devices for school offices.
Newcomer Support and Transition Centers such as "Newcomer Programs" or "Welcome Centers" designed for recent immigrants who have limited English proficiency. These centers provide intensive language instruction, cultural orientation, and social-emotional support.
District-Wide Professional Development for All Staff: This includes training general education teachers and administrators in strategies to differentiate instruction for multilingual learners.
Family and Community Engagement such as bi-lingual family liaisons and coordinators to improve communication with non-English speaking households. Tactics include adult ESL classes for parents, multilingual parent workshops, and issuing district notifications in students' home languages.
3. Last week Burbio rolled out a District Research Agent that generates sector-specific summaries of a district’s priorities, initiatives, and suppliers by analyzing board minutes, strategic and facilities plans, budgets, bonds, vendor payments, and more. The tool saves hours of research per district and supports targeted sales planning. Below are some examples from the facilities category that appear when the agent is activated:
Among over a dozen initiatives in Boise School District, ID, the district is aiming to complete a new facilities master plan by May 2026, has a district-wide sustainability initiative covering 80 buildings and 850 acres of ground, has seen its transportation budget increase by 12% year-over-year, and has budgeted $225,000 for a solar replacement at one of the district schools.
At Providence Schools, RI, the district has launched a $1 billion capital improvement plan, with tactical investments in areas such as water bottle filling stations, bus GPS tracking, Wifi Hotspots, Chromebook, and Smartboards.
Lubbock ISD, TX, recently passed a $290 million bond that includes facility improvements and safety upgrades. Projects mentioned in recent meetings include restroom upgrades at a middle school, playground fencing at the elementary schools, an LED lighting project, and lockdown pushbuttons for staff.
Newark Public Schools, NJ is spending $7.3 million on capital projects, including stadium repairs and cafeteria renovations, and spending on security as part of an $18 million district initiative.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC, has $32 million allocated in their budget this year for safety, security, roofing and HVAC upgrades, while providing updates on a $2.5 billion bond passed in 2023 that covers 30 projects across the district
4. We finish with a summary of enrollment changes for City districts 26-50. All but three of the districts lost enrollment since before Covid, but 12 of the 25 are either flat or up versus last year, meaning overall the top 50 districts are evenly split between those that lost enrollment and those that were either flat increased in the one-year comparison period: