Including charter schools and pre-kindergarten programs, New York public school enrollment in 2017-18 was estimated at 2,608,473 million, 15,222 fewer than in 2016-17 and just slightly above the 1991-92 count of 2,584,967, according to the State Education Department. The latest U.S. Census data, which shows a continued decline in New York's statewide population of school-age children in 2017, points to yet another enrollment decrease in the new school year. These enrollment trends highlight the need for the kind of innovative reforms that New York's governor, Legislature and union-dominated education establishment have resisted. For example, rural districts need more regulatory freedom to experiment with distance learning and regional high school programs. Relief from state mandates--especially those affecting the hiring, assignment and compensation of teachers--would give all districts the greater flexibility they need to deal effectively with the biggest demographic changes they have experienced in a generation.