Last week, Voice of San Diego reported that over the past decade San Diego County’s district-run schools have lost nearly 53,000 students—about a 12% decline—while charter schools added roughly 26,000 students, a 41% increase. Traditional enrollment stability—based on zoning—is eroding. Today's Families have real choice. Behind the numbers lie structural forces—declining birth rates, soaring housing costs forcing families out of the area—as well as neighborhood families opting into new, flexible, virtual, or specialized charter offerings.
Students had a bad experience at a traditional public school
Parents believe their child will be safer in a charter school
Charters have a reputation for offering a more personal approach to school
With sports, clubs, training, and other extracurriculars, today's students require more school flexibility
Charters often offer smaller class sizes because they have less overhead costs to manage
Families seek a sense of community that comes with a small school experience
Charter schools are better at marketing because they have to be in order to survive
Non-Classroom-Based (NCB) charter schools in particular have experienced rapid growth over the past decade, not only in San Diego but throughout California and across much of the United States. This expansion reflects a broader shift toward flexible, personalized learning models that allow students to access high-quality education outside of traditional classroom settings. Method Schools Founder & CEO Dr. Jessica Spallino notes "NCB schools hold the unique capacity to reach students where traditional modalities cannot. They lend themselves to such a flexible and personalized approach, that students otherwise disenfranchised, find themselves connected and engaged."
Whether it's virtual learning or a more traditional, site-based program, the message to districts: you can no longer count on geography to lock in enrollment. To thrive, districts must shift toward choice‑sensitive strategy, service innovation, and family-oriented outreach.
The message to charters is also clear: growth alone is not enough. You must deliver educational excellence, holistic supports, mission clarity that focuses on students, and grounded community engagement to avoid becoming another transactional option.
San Diego’s enrollment trends are an early warning light for the education landscape: families are voting with their feet, and the schools that embrace choice, innovation, and authentic relationships—rather than relying solely on zoning—will be the ones that thrive.