RISD’s annual demographic update, compiled by Templeton Demographics, was presented to Trustees, staff and community at the Jan. 11 board meeting. The report, updated annually, includes information about population, birth rates, employment and housing trends and provides updated 5-year and 10-year enrollment projections for each RISD campus. The report is a valuable resource for the district for planning purposes, and last year’s update was among the resources considered by the Bond Steering Committee as it worked to determine the district’s current and future facility and space needs.
Highlights from this year’s update include:
- RISD experienced a 4.6% decline in enrollment to 37,817 due to the pandemic, with the largest declines experienced in elementary grades, including Pre-K and Kinder. Many DFW school districts experienced similar declines of up to 6%.
- District enrollment is projected to stabilize and eventually continue previous growth as the effects of the pandemic subside.
- RISD continues to have one of the highest shares of students residing in multi-family units in DFW.
- Overall district enrollment is anticipated to remain between 40,000-41,000 students from 2025-2030.
