For some time now, Davis has been talking about declining school enrollment as though it were a mystery to be solved by the school board or by demographers. But the truth is that declining enrollment isn’t a surprise—in 2007 and 2008, community leaders were warning that our school populations were the canary in the coal mine.
More importantly, our analysis shows that it isn’t a natural consequence of statewide trends. It’s the predictable, self-inflicted result of Measure J, the voter-approval ordinance that for nearly a quarter century has made it almost impossible to build housing for families.
When you first look at Davis’s population data, it doesn’t seem so bad. On paper, the city doesn’t look “old.” The age chart is swollen with people in their twenties, which makes Davis appear balanced and youthful. But that picture is deceptive…