School district enrollment trends on the North Olympic Peninsula are split — judging by averages over the just-finished school year — with some districts experiencing declining enrollment, some with increased enrollment and one that has remained stable.
Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Quillayute Valley, Chimacum and Cape Flattery school districts all are budgeting for smaller student bodies in 2012-13 because enrollment fell during the year, and that is a trend officials expect to see continue.
The Sequim, Crescent and Quilcene districts are anticipating larger enrollments to correspond with an increased number of students in 2011-12.
The enrollment in Brinnon — a small school offering classes through sixth grade — has remained steady.
The state pays schools according to “full-time enrollment,” or FTE, which is calculated to address each student’s needs and time spent in the schools.
A half-day kindergartner or part-time high school student counts for less than a full FTE.
Port AngelesPort Angeles School District lost 82 students in 2011-12, continuing a pattern of declining enrollment, said Gail Frick, interim district finance manager.
The greatest loss of students was at the elementary level, where no grade exceeded 300 students during the school year.
All grade levels at the seventh grade and above had 300 or more students.
Frick said the district expects a further loss of students in 2012-13.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 3,922. In 2012, it was 3,839.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 3,764 and in 2012 was 3,629
Sequim
Sequim School District expected a slight decline in enrollment for the 2011-12 school year but instead experienced slight growth, said Brian Lewis, district business manager.
The district expects a still larger increase in enrollment for 2012-13, Lewis said.
Head count enrollment for 2011 was 2,816 and in 2012 was 2,819. FTE enrollment in 2011 was 2,616 and in 2012 was 2,683.
Quillayute ValleyThe Quillayute Valley School District’s enrollment dropped considerably in 2011-12, showing a decrease of more than 700 students from the previous school year.
There are two sets of students in the district, virtual students and “brick and mortar” students, Superintendent Diana Reaume said.
A high enrollment compared to the size of the city is caused by the district’s popular “Home School Plus+,” program which accounts for more than 2,000 of its students.
That was where most of the enrollment was lost, Reaume said.
The district has learned to more narrowly define students who can be successful in homeschool programming, which somewhat restricts the enrollment in that program, she said.
Home School Plus+ provides materials, lessons and support for homeschool families.
Reaume said that the actual “bricks and mortar” student enrollment has remained steady at 1,100 for years, but this year unexpectedly dropped to 1,067, with the losses mostly at the elementary school level.
The pattern isn’t something the West End district has experienced before, where losses at the middle and high school level have been more typical, Reaume said.
“We’re going to keep an eye on it,” she said.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 3,781 and in 2012 was 3,071.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 3,529 and in 2012 was 3,017.
Cape Flattery
Cape Flattery School District isn’t losing enrollment in big numbers all at once, but a decade of steady decline has dropped the district’s student count from 542 in 2002 to the current 425, said Superintendent Kandy Ritter.
“We’re not anticipating losing a lot next year,” Ritter said.
The district has budgeted for between 410 and 415 students in 2012-13, she said.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 438 and in 2012 was 425.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 426 and in 2012 was 418.
Crescent
Crescent School District grew slightly in 2012, a continuation of a trend of growing enrollment in the small district in Joyce.
“In the last five years, we are up 60 students,” said Superintendent Tom Anderson.
The district has not added new housing areas or new industry to account for the added students.
This year several families with multiple children moved into the district, and in general families have been attracted to the rural area, Anderson said.
“It’s a nice school for kids,” Anderson said.
Anderson said he believes families move to the area for school district amenities such as small class sizes, all-day kindergarten, before and after school care, and close access to high school programs in Port Angeles at Peninsula College and the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 357 and in 2012 was 361.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 332 and in 2012 was 337.
Port Townsend
Port Townsend School District’s enrollment dropped by 41 students in 2012.
The school board is budgeting for around the same number of students in 2012-12, and is hoping for the best, said Mary Colton, superintendent’s assistant and enrollment secretary.
“They always budget low,” Colton said.
If the district budgets for fewer students than it expects, and therefore less money, there are fewer nasty surprises if some of the district’s students don’t show up the next year, she said.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 1,341 and in 2012 was 1,300.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 1,268 and in 2012 was 1,234.
Chimacum
Chimacum School District’s enrollment dropped by 15 students in 2012, representing a loss of $82,000 in state funding to the district, said Art Clarke, district business manager.
The district is expecting another drop in enrollment in 2012-13, and budgeted for 1,030 FTE, Clarke said.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 1,118 and in 2012 was 1,103.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 1,078 and in 2012 was 1,047.
Quilcene
Quilcene School District is among the few Peninsula districts that experienced increased enrollment.
It had an increase of more than 100 students, most of whom have never stepped foot in Quilcene.
There were 185 students who actually attend the schools in Quilcene, and the district is budgeting for 182 “brick and mortar” students next year, said Cindy Pollard, business manager.
“We’re so tiny a single family moving in or out of the district can affect us,” Pollard said.
The district will budget for an additional 350 in the “Homeschool Exploration Program” — or HEP — which provides materials, lessons and support for homeschool families, she said.
“We capped our program at 300 this year, but we will be expanding to 350 next year” she said.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 466 and in 2012 was 571.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 417 and in 2012 was 495.
Brinnon
Brinnon School District’s enrollment has been flat for several years, with only minor variations, said Betty Johnson, business manager.
At this time the district doesn’t expect a change, Johnson said.
The district has only a single elementary school. When students complete elementary school, most attend Quilcene School District’s middle and high schools.
Head count enrollment in 2011 was 37 and in 2012 was 35.
FTE enrollment in 2011 was 35 and in 2012 was 32.
All enrollment statistics are from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction website at www.k12.wa.us/safs/Reports.asp.
Enrollment numbers are rounded to the nearest whole-number value.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
