Weeks into a new school year, some school districts are watching their enrollment figures.

Gilchrist and Levy counties are seeing drops in public school students compared to this time last year. Marion and Columbia county public schools, on the other hand, have more students. Alachua county numbers remain close to last year's numbers.

Officials with the University of Florida said the declines are tied to the state's economic troubles.

"You're going to see young people either leaving the state or families deciding not to come here," said Catherine Emihovich, College of Education Dean at the University of Florida. "Because they're not going to see a way to gets jobs or they're not seeing the kind of support for education that other states have provided."