Pajaro Valley Unified School District welcomed 16,921 students in 2023-24 school year

Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s schools enrolled 16,921 students in the 2023-24 school year, 2.6% less than the previous year, according to the California Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 50.9% of them were boys, and 49.1% were girls.

Pajaro Valley Unified School District covers 33 schools within Santa Cruz County with its main office in Watsonville.

Among the 33 schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Watsonville High School recorded the highest enrollment of 2,253 students in the 2023-24 school year.

After peaking at 6.3 million in the early 2000s, public school enrollment in California has marked its seventh consecutive decline in the 2023-24 school year, with projections indicating it could fall to approximately 5.2 million by the 2033-34 school year. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.