Colette Moffroid| A&E editor
March 6, 2026
Our school district is funded by both the federal and state governments. They are paid based on the number of students who attend school each day, and all of the teachers, staff, custodians, and substitutes in our entire district rely on this for their income. SCHS Librarian Jennifer Moffroid mentioned that “Our school uses the infrastructure for 100% enrollment every day, regardless of the number of kids who actually attend.” On average, the district earns slightly over $12,000 per student each year. However, when children are absent, schools do not earn any money, but the people who work at the school must still be paid.
The Capistrano Unified School District was at peak enrollment ten years ago with just over 50,000 students across all our schools. Today, that number has decreased by about 10,000, with enrollment now sitting at 40,000 students. The Department of Education has projected that the apex of this enrollment depression will occur in three years. This is a direct result of the declining birth rate that appeared in the years 2007-2010, and, with fewer children being born, fewer are enrolled in school, which naturally reduces the district’s government funding. However, as the kids born in these low-birth-rate years are now in high school and almost done with their public school years, enrollment is predicted to increase in the coming years.
This affects San Clemente High School on a personal level. As a result of a lack of funding in our district, we have less money to pay all the staff needed to run our school. People are beginning to receive notices that they will be laid off after the 2025-2025 school year due to the budget cuts the district is implementing. Junior Emma Burke shared that she is “worried that [her] favorite staff member will be let go after this year.” Capistrano Unified refers to the downswing as “right-sizing” because they are making the number of staff the right size for our decreased budget. While these budget cuts are necessary, they undoubtedly hurt people and change lives. However, hopefully, after this peak in enrollment declines, our school’s budget will be far less of an issue.
Leave a Reply