Are America�s classrooms overcrowded? In 1998
there were 47 million students enrolled in U.S. elementary, middle,
and high schools. This is the highest number of students enrolled
since 1970, during the peak of the baby
boomers. Data from the October 1998 Current
Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the Census Bureau, indicate
that enrollment in private schools increased
to 4.7 million in 1998, the highest level in over 25 years. Public
school enrollment declined slightly between 1997 and 1998, from
42.7 million to 42.3 million students.
Note: The National Center for Education
Statistics also collects data on public and private school enrollment
through the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey. CPS estimates of school
enrollment may differ from those indicated by the CCD data, because
the former is based on sample data
while the latter is based on administrative
records. For more information, visit the National Center for
Education Statistics Web site at http://nces.ed.gov/.
