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LYNN — Lynn Public Schools has lost 633 students between April 2025 and April 2026, a decline Superintendent Dr. Molly Cohen said is likely linked to heightened federal immigration enforcement and growing fears among immigrant families.
This accounts for about 4% of the district’s 15,913 student population. The district, which has been tracking enrollment monthly, has seen the largest losses occur at the secondary level.
“We do see bigger deficits in enrollment in the secondary level. Our highest grade level that we lost is 10th grade,” Cohen stated at last Thursday’s City Council meeting. She also said at the meeting that between March 2025 and March 2026, the figure was slightly higher at 648.
Cohen said that while LPS “does not capture the immigration status of students,” it is reasonable to conclude that the decline in enrollment “is at least partly attributable to the impact of enhanced immigration enforcement. We have experienced students and families reporting feelings of anxiety and even fear, which is obviously concerning.”
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Cohen also said, in a report published on May 13 by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, that “fear” and “instability” are contributing to enrollment decline and fiscal pressure in public schools in the state, specifically regarding English-language learners.
