In addition to some factors that public school districts might be able to influence, there are some regional and statewide trends that are simply reducing the number of school-age children living in many Valley communities.
A rise in the popularity of charter and private schools and homescooling, coupled with the state’s voucher program, are affecting how Valley parents decide to educate their children.
But falling statewide birth rate is reducing how many Arizona families with young children even exist — and the skyrocketing cost of real estate is dictating where that diminishing number of families will live.
