High school class of 2025 largest in U.S. history, however ...

You want the good news first or the bad news?

Okay, the good news, even though bad news typically sells more newspapers.

This year, the High School Class of 2025 is the largest in U.S. history. Meaning, presumably, there will be enough workers across all classes, skill sets, trades, to replace the retirees.

Now the bad news.

Moving forward, the class sizes decline.

Which means, for whatever reason, more married couples, including all other demographics, were making more babies back in 2007, but after that, the numbers show a decline.

Why Fewer Babies?

If fertility rates dropped circa late 2007 and have continued dropping ever since, the question is, why?

If being locked up together during the COVID pandemic didn’t change the numbers, nothing will. A husband, a wife, no one around, “What do you want to do, honey?”

Let’s get on our smart phones.

A new generation.

Seriously, research suggests that problematic smartphone use, particularly addiction-like use, can be associated with reduced sexual function in both men and women. This includes difficulties with arousal, orgasm, and general sexual satisfaction.

Additionally, spending excessive time on phones in a relationship can lead to less intimacy and a feeling of “alone togetherness,” potentially impacting the frequency and quality of sexual activity (Source: ScienceDirect.com.)

“Sorry, honey, what did you say?”

Among those with socalled “phone distractions,” almost a quarter of married couples report making love either not at all or only once or twice in the previous 12 months. (Source: washingtonexaminer.com.)

“You’re always on that dad-gum phone.”

You can usually spot these people with “phone distractions” out in public as they walk and text, forgetting that a door will hit them in the face in less than 12 paces. Boom. They bounce off the glass and immediately go back to texting. Amazing to watch.

Besides the cell phone, hello, other reasons for fewer babies are cited in numerous reports.

They include: couples wanting to delay childbearing, but often forget that the window during which a woman can bear a child is somewhat limited in years; shifting priorities and social norms, less pressure from family to have more kids; and changes in contraceptive use and family planning. (Source: Population Reference Bureau.)

This decline, according to studies, is widespread across almost all demographic groups, including different age groups, races, and ethnicities.

The Class of 2025

Once again, congrats to the Class of 2025.

When COVID hit in 2020, they would have been in seventh grade, the spring semester. Not an easy time. For parents and staff either.

Across the country, the ‘25 class consists of approximately 3.9 million students and is expected to have a significant impact as its members head to college or enter the workforce. At least that’s the hopeful plan.

This information is supported by a report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) in their 11th Edition of “Knocking at the College Door.”

It’s also worth noting that the Class of 2025 is considered the most diverse graduating class in history, adding another layer of significance to this year’s graduates.

WICHE's report indicates that the peak number of graduates will be in 2025, with a projected steady decline through 2041 due to lower birth rates 18 years prior. This decline is estimated to be around 13 percent from the 2025 peak to the end of the projection period.

While most states are expected to see a decrease in graduates, Texas is one of the twelve areas predicted to experience continued growth. The report also highlights a significant increase in Hispanic graduates, projected to reach 1.1 million in 2041 (36 percent of the public graduating class), and a strong percentage increase in graduates identifying as two or more races, rising from 127,000 in 2023 to 214,000 by 2041.