New York City public-school enrollment dropped by about 17,000 students this year, with a drop of roughly 64,000 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to preliminary data released by the city’s Department of Education on Friday.

The city school district, which is the largest public-school system in the U.S., enrolled roughly 938,000 students in fall 2021 compared with 955,000 the previous year. The district saw a 1.9-percent decline in enrollment this year compared with a 4.7-percent decline in 2020, when districts across the country switched to virtual learning. Large school districts struggled to transition to online classes, and the New York DOE provided iPads to thousands of homeless students to ensure they could participate in remote learning.

However, enrollment in the district’s charter schools continued to climb, albeit at a slightly slower pace than in previous years. Roughly 4,000 new students enrolled in charters this fall, compared with 10,000 new students the previous year.