School enrollment across New Jersey is dropping, according to the state Department of Education.
Enrollment in public down by 18,000 students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Passaic School District reported 800 fewer students in October compared to 2019. Toms River reported 600 fewer students at that time. Atlantic City saw a drop of around 400 students.
Education officials blame COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates for the drop. Enrollment is down by at least 1.2 million nationwide during the pandemic.
But not all school districts in the state saw a drop. The Newark School District kept its mask mandate for months after the state ended it and enrollment grew by nearly 4,000 in the last two years.