Enrollment is down at the state’s two largest community college systems. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports there’s a good reason for that drop.

MACIAS: The Pima County Community College System in Tucson reports an enrollment drop of 11 percent compared to the same time last year. Here in the Valley, enrollment is down about 3 percent at the Maricopa County Community College District. Tom Garipey is spokesman for the district.

TOM GARIPEY: We attribute that in part to the fact that the economy is improving. Community college enrollment tends to go up when the economy is bad. And tends to decline when people have opportunities to get jobs.

MACIAS: Maricopa County Community Colleges make up the largest such district in the country with nearly 200,000 students. Garipey says enrollment is flat or down at nine of the district’s ten campuses. Estrella Mountain in the far West Valley is the one campus that has shown a slight increase in enrollment.

KJZZ is licensed to Rio Salado College, part of the Maricopa County Community College District.