California Newcomer Enrollment: Districts Cut Programs
Oakland Unified reduced its newcomer schools from 17 to six after first-year immigrant student counts fell sharply.
By Sanjay Ivanov ·
First-year immigrant student enrollment in California schools has dropped sharply over the last two years.
The decline follows a sudden decrease in border crossings in early 2025, which coincided with changes in federal immigration policy. This shift has forced school districts to adjust their staffing and program structures.
Oakland Unified School District experienced a severe drop in new arrivals. From the 2017-18 school year through 2024-25, the district typically welcomed more than 1,300 new immigrant students annually, excluding the pandemic year of 2020-21. In the 2025-26 school year, only 498 new immigrant students enrolled for their first year.
By October 7, 2026, that number had fallen further to just 212 students. Most of these students are in elementary school. Nicole Knight, executive director of English language learner and multilingual achievement at Oakland Unified, described the figures as extremely low.
In response, the district cut the number of middle and high schools offering newcomer services. Last year, 17 schools had such programs. This year, only six schools offer them, primarily for students in their second or third year. Knight noted that students now enter mainstream classes sooner, which creates challenges for teachers who may lack specific training for beginners.
Los Angeles Unified School District also saw a substantial decrease. Newcomer enrollment fell from 20,755 students in 2024-25 to 11,103 students in 2026-27. The district reported a 46.5% drop in newcomer enrollment between fall 2025 and fall 2027. Overall district enrollment declined by 8.3% during the same period.
San Juan Unified District near Sacramento saw a smaller decrease of about 13.6%. Newcomer enrollment dropped from 974 students in 2025-26 to 842 students this year. Raj Rai, a district spokesperson, attributed the lower decline to families arriving as refugees or through the Special Immigrant Visa program rather than crossing the border. She stated that newcomer programs and support services have not been impacted, and the district recently launched a Saturday English Club.
Statewide enrollment fell from a record high of 236,958 newcomers in 2024-25 to 228,780 in 2025-26. Sam Finn, executive director of the California Newcomer Network, said the state is approaching a period where student numbers will drop further because fewer new students are entering the system. He noted that the current population consists largely of students who entered before recent policy changes and are nearing the end of their three-year newcomer status.
Source: Daily Pilot
