California Schools Cut Newcomer Programs as Immigrant Enrollment Halves

The number of new immigrant students enrolling in California public schools has fallen sharply, forcing several large urban districts to close programs and reassign staff. This drop directly impacts classroom composition and funding streams, as schools receive state and federal dollars based on enrollment counts. In Oakland, the decline was severe enough to eliminate newcomer services at more than two-thirds of its secondary schools.

The decrease in new arrivals follows a sharp reduction in border crossings in early 2025, a period marked by changes in federal immigration policy. For the 2025-26 school year, Oakland Unified recorded 498 first-time immigrant enrollments, down from an average of more than 1,300 annually between 2017-18 and 2024-25. By October 7, 2026, only 212 new immigrant students had enrolled in the district for the first time, with the majority attending elementary schools.

Nicole Knight, executive director of English language learner and multilingual achievement at Oakland Unified, described the current figures as extremely low. The district previously operated newcomer programs at 17 middle and high schools but has reduced that number to six for the current academic year. These remaining sites primarily serve students in their second or third year of schooling. Students are now being placed into mainstream classes earlier than in previous years, removing the buffer of separate support classes during their initial adjustment period.

Teachers in these mainstream classes face a challenge supporting students who are just beginning to learn English or who have missed months of schooling in their home countries. Knight noted that some teachers lack specific training for these needs. The decline also reduces district funding, which is tied to student counts. Additionally, the influx of new students previously helped keep bilingual immersion classes fully enrolled, a benefit that is now disappearing.

Los Angeles Unified experienced a similar contraction. Newcomer enrollment dropped from 20,755 students in 2024-25 to 11,103 students in 2026-27. The district reported that overall enrollment fell by 8.3% between fall 2025 and fall 2027, while newcomer enrollment declined by 46.5% over the same period. The disparity in numbers is stark, with the immigrant student population shrinking at a rate nearly six times faster than the general student body.

The pattern is not uniform across the state. San Juan Unified, located near Sacramento, saw a smaller decline of 13.6%, dropping from 974 newcomer students in 2025-26 to 842 in the current year. Raj Rai, a district spokesperson, attributed the resilience to the district’s population, which includes many refugees and holders of Special Immigrant Visas, such as Afghan nationals who worked with the U.S. government. These families often arrive through resettlement programs rather than border crossings.

San Juan Unified continues to see new families relocate to the area from other states to join established communities. The district maintains its academic, language, and social-emotional support services. It recently launched an English Club that meets on Saturdays to assist newcomers with language skills. Rai stated that newcomer programs and support services have not been impacted by the modest decrease in numbers.

Statewide, the total number of newcomer students fell from a record 236,958 in 2024-25 to 228,780 in 2025-26. The 2026-27 statewide total is not yet available. Sam Finn, executive director of the California Newcomer Network, warned that the population is approaching a cliff. He noted that the majority of current students entered before recent policy changes and are now in their second or third year. As these students age out of the newcomer category without a sufficient number of new arrivals to replace them, the total count is expected to drop significantly.

Program leaders are working to preserve the curriculum and expertise they have built, anticipating that the need may return if immigration numbers rise again. Knight emphasized that building these programs was a labor of love and that districts do not want to lose access to that infrastructure when it is needed. The next phase of enrollment data will determine how many more programs must be scaled back or maintained in the coming school years.