Student numbers down across area

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Eastern Elementary School teacher Robbi Rogers' talks about story problems with her fourth-grade class Wednesday afternoon. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Eastern Elementary School students pass through the hallways Wednesday afternoon. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

September 30, 2010

TCAPS has 68 fewer than 2009

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE lvanhulle@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Thu Sep 30, 2010, 07:52 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — Fewer students are enrolled in local public schools this fall, a multi-year trend believed in some districts to be tied to the area's slow recovery from a deep economic recession.

School systems from Traverse City to Alba reported declining enrollment in preliminary head counts taken Wednesday, which are used to determine the amount of state funding districts receive.

Wednesday's count will be combined with one taken last February to determine enrollment for funding purposes.

In Traverse City Area Public Schools, 9,793 students in kindergarten through 12th grade were counted, down 68 from September 2009.

The number of students leaving TCAPS is shrinking. Between 2007 and 2008, 310 students left, which district administrators attributed to the start of the recession. Between September 2008 and 2009, about 123 students left.

This year, roughly 280 fewer kindergarteners entered than seniors graduated, but more students entered the district in seventh and ninth grades, said Christine Davis, executive director of human resources.

"For the economy of the area, we certainly have not seen any significant decline in enrollment," Davis said.

TCAPS and many local districts are among the lowest-funded in the state. Base per-student funding levels are expected to be $7,162 this year, but that could change based on legislation pending in Lansing.

A bill approved Wednesday in the Senate would use one-time federal dollars to restore a $154 per-student structural cut and infuse up to $46 extra into districts' budgets. The House version added up to $34.

Administrators have 10 days to account for any unexcused absences and 30 days for excused absences. Head counts will be preliminary until then.

Recession effects apparently were greater in smaller, outlying districts.

Forest Area Community Schools, based in Fife Lake, had 35 fewer students than last fall, Superintendent John Smith said.

Preliminary head counts showed 693 K-12 students, down from 728 last September and 722 in February.

"The economy is definitely the main factor in our area," Smith said, adding that a few families moved to North Dakota for jobs. "We are still struggling with families finding work, and finding sustaining work."

Students left Benzie County Central Schools throughout last school year, said Carol Siderman, an administrative assistant in charge of student counts.

Wednesday's data showed 1,774 K-12 students, down 44 from 1,818 last year.

"I would suspect it's strictly the economy," she said. "The jobs are just not available, and a lot of them were out of state."

A smaller kindergarten class and fewer seasonal migrant families contributed to a drop in Elk Rapids Schools, Superintendent Steve Prissel said.

On Wednesday, 1,466 students were enrolled, down 90 from last September and one from February. Administrators budgeted for 1,553 students, Prissel said, with projections based on seven years of data from September and February counts.

"We've been able to bounce back in September," Prissel said. "This year, we just weren't able to."

Alba Public School, in eastern Antrim County, had 180 K-12 students Wednesday, down from 212 last year. The district planned for closer to 190 students, Superintendent Derrel Kent said.

Kalkaska Public Schools counted 1,565 students Wednesday, the same as last year, Superintendent Lee Sandy said. His district projected losing 25 students.

"It's preliminary, but looks like we stayed at the same number we had last fall, which is good news for us," Sandy said.