New Podcast Explores Declining School Enrollment

New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO) has released a new podcast series titled "The Future Is Smaller: What New Orleans Learned Before America Had To." The series addresses the challenges public school systems face due to declining student enrollment and tightening budgets. Across the country, school systems are confronting a reality of fewer students, leading to difficult decisions about sustaining strong educational institutions. In New Orleans, these pressures are already evident. Over the past five years, K-8 enrollment has decreased by approximately 9 percent, and ninth-grade enrollment in 2026 is about 11 percent lower than in 2022, even as academic progress has been recorded. The podcast features education leaders, researchers, school operators, students, and families discussing how demographic changes affect school finances and academic opportunities. A key focus is on how to protect and build upon academic progress while reshaping school systems for a smaller student population. The first episode, "The Last Miss Douglass," premiered on October 15, with new episodes released monthly on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. NSNO has supported New Orleans public schools for 20 years through investments in educators, research, advocacy, and school sustainability.