For decades, the Clark County School District was one of the fastest growing school systems in the nation, buoyed by a booming gaming and tourism industry and low housing costs. Just seven years ago, when enrollment peaked, the district boasted 335,333 students in its classrooms. Then came the decline. DISTRICT IN DECLINE An enrollment crisis in the Clark County School District leaves officials scrambling to stave off budget woes The pandemic spurred lower birth rates, economic turbulence for families, and a rise in the popularity of public-school alternatives in Southern Nevada. The district that could not grow fast enough is now shrinking. This year, the district enrolled 291,587 students, a drop of nearly 44,000 from the height during the 2018-19 school year, according to Nevada Department of Education data. “It’s a substantial dichotomy from what they’re used to for two plus decades, three decades,” said Rick Baldwin, the district’s director of comprehensive planning.…