East Ventura News

In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten was the largest grade in Pleasant Valley School District, with 981 students making up 14.1% of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. This represents a growth of 0.7% compared to the previous year.

The grade with the second highest number of students was second grade, with 766 students, or 11% of the student body.

The school that had the highest number of kindergarten students in Pleasant Valley School District during the period was Rancho Rosal Elementary School, while Santa Rosa Technology Magnet had the fewest.

Overall, Pleasant Valley School District enrolled 6,941 students, ranking as the 222nd highest enrolled district in California for the 2023-24 school year. It ranked 223rd 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
Camarillo Heights STEM Academy	376
Dos Caminos Elementary School	322
La Mariposa	585
Las Colinas Middle School	751
Las Posas Elementary School	451
Los Primeros School of Sciences & Arts	598
Monte Vista Middle School	606
Pleasant Valley School of Engineering and Arts	528
Rancho Rosal Elementary School	601
Santa Rosa Technology Magnet	466
Tierra Linda Elementary School	517