Drop in School Enrollment Could Reduce State Funding
March 3, 2010
Public school enrollment fell slightly this school year in Jackson County and statewide, according to a state report released Tuesday. But the drops could carry a big pricetag for some districts, including Medford.
The county lost 372 public school students, from 28,367 to 27,995, between years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, a drop of about 1 percent.
State enrollment report
District 2008-2009 2009-2010 % difference
State 564,044 561,466 -0.5
Jackson County 28,367 27,995 -1.3
Ashland 2,890 2,942 +1.8
Butte Falls 175 168 -4.0
Central Point 4,720 4,653 -1.4
Eagle Point 4,253 4,166 -2.0
Medford 12,252 12,062 -1.6
Phoenix-Talent 2,823 2,763 -2.1
Pinehurst 18 24 +33.3
Prospect 168 214 +27.4
*Rogue River 1,068 1,003 -6.1
The state as a whole lost 2,578 pupils, a reduction of about one-half of 1 percent , from 564,044 to 561,466.
"We can’t really speculate as to why we are down students the past two years after 10 years of steady growth," said Susanne Smith, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Education. "Last year, we lost about 700 students, and this year, we’re down 2,500. When you look at half a million students in the state, that’s not really a significant decrease."
But the loss of even a few dozen students can be significant for school districts, which receive state funding based on the number of students enrolled.
In 2009, each student brought in about $6,000 in state funding.
The annual enrollment report counts the number of students at each school and each school district in the state on Oct. 1, though school populations fluctuate throughout the year.
Medford School District, the county’s largest school system and the state’s 10th largest, declined by nearly 200 pupils, or 1.6 percent, from 12,252 to 12,062 between October 2008 and October 2009. That could represent the loss of more than $1.1 million in state funding for the district, which has seen declines in student numbers for seven consecutive years.
Medford schools Superintendent Phil Long said the losses may reflect a migration of families to more urban areas to search for jobs.
Two of the county’s smallest school districts, however, saw enrollment increases, with both Pinehurst and Prospect adding students. Prospect has attributed its 46-student gain — a 27.4 percent increase — to its conversion to a charter district, which allows students from other districts to attend school there without living in the district.
Ashland saw its public school student enrollment climb for the first time in 11 years, said Ashland schools Superintendent Juli Di Chiro. As hland’s students increased from 2,890 to 2,942, a growth of 1.8 percent. That could bring the district some $332,000 in additional funding from the state.
"For us, it’s great news," Di Chiro said. "All I can say is one year doesn’t establish a trend. I don’t know what it means for the future."
Anecdotally, Di Chiro said, there are more students living with extended family members because of the economic downturn.
Most surprising was an increase in the size of the district’s senior class, which grew by 30 students, Di Chiro said.
"It’s very unusual for students to move their senior year," she said.
Rogue River logged the largest percentage decrease in enrollment, from 1,068 to 1,003, a 6 percent loss, according to the state’s report.
But Rogue River schools Superintendent Harry Vanikiotis said the state’s count appears to be off. The district counted 1,022, instead of 1,003, on Oct. 1, he said, which would represent a 4 percent loss.
"We’ve seen a lot of families leaving our area looking for jobs or students who leave to live with a different parent or grandparents because the parents are having a hard time finding work," Vanikiotis said.