Enrollment down in Marion Co. school districts
By SUSAN BERG, SUSAN MARSHALL, MIKE NORRIS, and ROWENA PLETT
Staff writers
The status quo never looked as good as it does now.
Preliminary enrollment numbers indicate all five school districts in Marion County have had a decrease in enrollment.
On the official statewide count day Sept. 20, Peabody-Burns USD 398 saw the highest percentage of decrease. In 2006, enrollment was 384. The enrollment for 2007 is 353 — a 8.7 percent decrease.
The head count at Centre USD 397 decreased from 268 students in 2006 to 250 this year, making a 6.7 percent change.
The largest school district in the county, Hillsboro USD 410, had 33 fewer students for a five percent decrease.
Goessel USD 411 and Marion-Florence USD 408 had decreases but they weren't as significant with 12 fewer students at Goessel and 19 at Marion, marking 4.5 percent and 3.1 percent decreases, respectively.
For Peabody-Burns, junior high school enrollment saw the largest decrease from 63 to 45 students for the two grades.
Centre Elementary School took the biggest hit in that district for K-5, with enrollment of 140 in 2006 and 126 in 2007.
A lower number of students also were noted at Marion Elementary School.
At Monday's Centre board of education meeting, board president Jesse Brunner said the district need to start planning for moving elementary school students to the high school site. He said the process could take two or three years.
Board members agreed that district patrons are accepting that eventuality.
Interim USD 410 superintendent Doug Huxman said the board and the district had been anticipating the enrollment numbers to decrease so it came as no surprise.
"It's pretty close to what was anticipated," Huxman said. He added that the district may have a few more years of a declining enrollment.
All agreed that predicting future enrollment trends was difficult.
John Fast, USD 411 superintendent said his district had been experiencing a slight decrease the past eight or nine years but remained optimistic.
"I believe our enrollment will level out and there might a slight increase in a year or two," he said. Fast added that birth rates across Marion County are decreasing which adds to lower enrollment numbers.
Lee Leiker, superintendent of USD 408, expressed his concern about the situation.
"We are a 3A high school and a 2A elementary school," he said, in terms of the numbers. "We need to start thinking in terms of the county as a whole. A benefit for the county is a benefit for all.
"Unless we do something, our numbers will continue to decline," Leiker said."
"Unfortunately, Peabody-Burns is following the trend that they had been for several years," USD 398 Superintendent Rex Watson said. "We are not alone. There are districts all over the state experiencing the same thing. However, that doesn't make it something we can ignore."
Watson said some cost-cutting measures are being considered but nothing significant.
"Above all, we are dedicated to doing the best job we can for our kids," he said.
