Thousands of students unaccounted for as Alabama public school enrollment drops – WSFA

Report on Alabama Public School Enrollment Decline and Sustainable Development Goal Implications

Executive Summary

A recent report from Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey indicates a significant shift in public school enrollment. This development presents considerable challenges to the state’s commitment to achieving key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning education, economic stability, and institutional accountability.

• Total student departure from public schools: Approximately 5,800
• Students transitioned to private or homeschool settings: Approximately 50%
• Students unaccounted for: Approximately 50%
• Primary legislative factor: The implementation of the CHOOSE Act for the 2025-2026 school year.

Challenges to SDG 4: Quality Education

The current situation directly impacts the progress toward ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all (SDG 4). The primary concerns are centered on access, equity, and the integrity of the educational system.

1. Ensuring Access for All: With nearly 2,900 students unaccounted for, there is a substantial risk that a segment of the school-aged population is not receiving any formal education. This contravenes the core target of SDG 4, which aims for universal access to free and quality primary and secondary schooling.
2. Promoting Educational Equity: The departure of students from the public system, coupled with the lack of tracking for a significant number, raises concerns about educational inequality. It is critical to ensure that all children, regardless of their family’s choice or circumstance, are accounted for and have access to quality learning opportunities.
3. Upholding Compulsory Education: The Superintendent’s reminder that all school-aged children are required to be in school underscores the state’s fundamental responsibility. Fulfilling this mandate is essential for meeting the universal education targets outlined in SDG 4.

Impact on SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The decline in enrollment has direct socio-economic consequences that relate to goals for decent work, economic growth, and the reduction of inequalities.

• Economic Impact and Inequality (SDG 10): The enrollment dip is projected to cause a $30 million reduction in the requested education budget for fiscal year 2027. Such a significant funding decrease threatens to reduce resources and support systems, potentially widening inequality gaps for students who remain in the public system.
• Threats to Decent Work (SDG 8): The lower enrollment is expected to impact approximately 500 education-based jobs. The strategy of not refilling positions vacated by retiring or departing educators could lead to a contraction in stable, decent work within the education sector, affecting the economic well-being of communities.

Institutional Accountability and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The inability to locate a large number of students highlights a critical challenge for institutional governance and accountability, a cornerstone of SDG 16.

• Institutional Tracking: The fact that thousands of students are “unaccounted for” points to a systemic gap in the state’s ability to monitor and ensure the welfare and educational engagement of all its children. Strengthening these institutional mechanisms is vital for effective governance.
• Policy and Governance: The situation underscores the need for robust monitoring and support systems to accompany major policy shifts like the CHOOSE Act, ensuring that such legislation does not inadvertently compromise the state’s ability to fulfill its mandate for universal education and child welfare.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • The entire article revolves around education in Alabama. It discusses issues of school enrollment, the implementation of the CHOOSE Act affecting school choice, and the critical problem of nearly 2,900 students being “unaccounted for.” The state superintendent’s plea for all school-aged children to be in school directly addresses the core mission of SDG 4, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article explicitly connects the drop in student enrollment to the labor market. It states that “about 500 jobs” in the education field will be impacted, with the state looking to not refill positions left by retiring or departing educators. This directly relates to SDG 8’s goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The issue of thousands of students being “unaccounted for” points to a significant inequality gap. These children are not receiving the educational opportunities that their peers are, which can lead to long-term social and economic disadvantages. Ensuring every child is enrolled in a school is a fundamental step toward reducing inequalities in access to essential services like education.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article highlights a systemic challenge for Alabama’s educational institutions. The inability to account for thousands of students after a new policy (the CHOOSE Act) was implemented suggests a weakness in the state’s institutional capacity for tracking and ensuring compliance with compulsory education laws. SDG 16 aims to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions, and the situation described indicates a need for improvement in the state’s educational governance.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.1 (under SDG 4)
   • This target aims to “ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.” The article’s central concern is the 2,900 students who are not accounted for in any school system. These students are at high risk of not completing their primary and secondary education, making this target directly relevant.
2. Target 8.5 (under SDG 8)
   • This target seeks to “achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all.” The article’s mention of 500 education jobs being impacted by lower enrollment directly relates to employment levels within a specific sector. The decision to not refill vacant positions is a direct consequence affecting the goal of full employment.
3. Target 10.2 (under SDG 10)
   • This target is to “empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all.” A lack of education is a primary barrier to social and economic inclusion. The unaccounted-for students are effectively excluded from the education system, which contravenes the principle of this target.
4. Target 16.6 (under SDG 16)
   • This target focuses on developing “effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.” The fact that the state education system cannot account for where thousands of children are being educated points to a gap in institutional effectiveness and accountability. The superintendent’s statement highlights the challenge the institution faces in tracking its student population.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for Target 4.1
   • Number of out-of-school children: The article explicitly states that about 2,900 students (half of the 5,800 who left public schools) are “unaccounted for.” This number serves as a direct, quantifiable indicator of the challenge in achieving universal school enrollment.
   • School enrollment rates: The article discusses a “dip in enrollment” of 5,800 students from public schools. Tracking overall enrollment rates across public, private, and homeschool settings would be an indicator of progress.
2. Indicators for Target 8.5
   • Number of jobs in the education sector: The article provides a specific figure of “about 500 jobs” that will be impacted. This can be used as an indicator to measure the effect of policy and demographic changes on employment in this sector.
3. Indicators for Target 10.2
   • Number of “unaccounted for” students: This figure, mentioned as approximately 2,900, is a stark indicator of exclusion from the education system. Reducing this number to zero would be a clear measure of progress towards educational inclusion.
4. Indicators for Target 16.6
   • Percentage of school-aged children tracked by the education system: While not stated as a percentage, the raw number of 2,900 untracked students implies a failure in the system’s accountability. An indicator of institutional effectiveness would be the ability to successfully account for 100% of the school-aged population, whether in public, private, or homeschool environments.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wsfa.com