The Garden City Telegram
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Some area districts see increases
Published 10/4/2007 in News : Education By Emily Behlmann
Though enrollment at Finney County's school districts has declined slightly this year, the student population at about half of the districts in The Telegram's coverage area is on the rise, with administrators citing everything from demographic shifts to typical fluctuation as possible reasons.
Enrollment has increased this year at two of the area's western-most districts -- USD 494 Syracuse and USD 200 Greeley County -- based on the student headcount taken on Sept. 20 of every year. Enrollment figures are submitted to the state, which funds school districts with $4,374 per pupil (or half that amount for kindergartners), plus extra money based on the percentage of students who fit certain categories, such as having low family income or a disability.
While most administrators are quick to say a one-year increase doesn't necessarily reflect a trend of growth in the community, Syracuse Superintendent Joan Friend said her school district might continue to see gains in enrollment.
"I think there might be a little bit of a trend," she said. "We have a lot of younger children, especially in our Hispanic population."
In Greeley County, the gain in enrollment is unusual, Superintendent Bill Wilson said.
"Ten years ago, we had 100 more kids than we do now," he said.
He attributed this year's increase to a combination of factors, including having a small senior class last year and seeing a few new families in town.
Both administrators said they see the increases as positive, as it means the potential for more money from the state for school operations.
Other districts will see less funding from the state if the decreases they saw this year are more than an anomaly. To prevent swings in budgets, districts are allowed to use the highest of this year's enrollment, last year's enrollment or an average of the past three years.
USD 216 Deerfield is one of those districts that could see a decline. Enrollment decreased from 328 to 311 this year, reflecting what has been mostly a downward slope, though Superintendent Jon Ansley said the drop this year could also be part of normal fluctuation. The district has a large kindergarten class this year and middle school enrollment is up, but the high school is down because a large senior class graduated while a small freshmen class moved in, he said.
While some administrators say the changes in their enrollments likely are just typical fluctuations, as class sizes vary from year to year, others cite a steady decline in their school districts' populations.
At USD 468 Healy, the trend has become severe, according to Superintendent John LaFave. There were 87 students at the district on Sept. 20 this year, vs. 92 last year. Enrollment in Healy has varied but has headed down from 145 students over the past 10 years.
However, LaFave said he was relieved at this year's headcount, because it was 10 students higher than he had expected. The district still had to make some cuts -- reducing staff by a cook and 1.5 teaching positions, ending the baseball program and doing away with assistant coach jobs -- but money wasn't quite as tight as he had thought it would be, he said.
"That gives us a little room," he said.
Enrollment at USD 467 Leoti also has shown a downward trend, with 532 students 10 years ago, vs. 469 students this Sept. 20, said Superintendent Lee Terrant. From year to year, enrollment has shifted up and down, but decreases seem to be more frequent and severe than increases, according to numbers from the last 10 years.
Terrant said he can't find a particular reason why Leoti lost 27 students this year, though he knows a few local students are going to school in Tribune and he expects out-migration of residents is involved in declines.
"There aren't many new businesses in Leoti," he said.
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