Oklahoma public school enrollment climbs more than 5,000 students

Hispanic population reaches 12% of the total statewide

OKLAHOMA CITY - According to annual enrollment numbers provided to the State Board of Education by each public school district and charter school site, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 enrollment for the current school year is 659,615, which is 5,073 more students than were enrolled last school year, and 25,148 more students than just five years ago.

The 2010-11 data shows that Oklahoma’s student population is 18 percent American Indian, 2 percent Asian, 10 percent Black, 12 percent Hispanic, 55 percent White, and 3 percent of two or more races.

Oklahoma’s voluntary Pre-Kindergarten classes remain popular among parents and school leaders. The state is now serving a projected 74 percent of four-year-old children in the state whose parents choose to send them to public Pre-K programs. More than 62 percent of those students are served in full-day Pre-K classes.

The trend of increasing numbers of public school students is evident in most districts. Oklahoma City Public Schools, which surpassed Tulsa Public Schools in enrollment last school year, added 419 students this year and remains the largest district.