Kindergarten enrollment in the New Paltz Central School District (NPCSD) is projected to drop sharply this fall, with just 66 students expected compared to 99 last year. The district shared the figure last week in a community update ahead of the 2025–26 school year, framing it as part of a broader discussion about declining enrollment trends.

Like other local school districts, the NPCSD has seen its student population decline over the past few decades. In some districts, those drops have led to the closure of elementary schools and consolidation of services. In New Paltz, that conversation continues, particularly with the 2024-25 enrollment of 1,678 falling to a projected 1,569 this year.

In an August 21 letter to the community, Superintendent Stephen Gratto said that figure was a sharp

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