School enrollment takes sharp drop
Oct. 20, 2007: Enrollment in Randolph’s schools is down nearly 8 percent from last
year, the sharpest drop in a six-year trend.
And that could hit the cash-strapped school system where it can
least afford it: in the pocketbook.By
The Patriot Ledger
Enrollment in Randolph’s schools is down nearly 8 percent from last year, the sharpest drop in a six-year trend.
And that could hit the cash-strapped school system where it can least afford it: in the pocketbook.
As of Oct. 1, there were 3,177 students in the town’s schools, a drop of 272 students from a year ago, School Superintendent Richard Silverman told the school committee Thursday night.
While the system’s enrollment changes on a daily basis, the Oct. 1 figure is reported to the state and is compared with those in other communities. It’s also used in setting how much state money for education the town gets.
At $5,500 in state aid for each student, that could mean a loss of $1.5 million for the town.
When the school year started, school officials had been expecting about 3,335 students. About 200 fewer showed up during the first week of school.
Silverman said parents who have taken their children out of the school system are being asked why they did so.
“The great majority are people who have moved out of town,” he told the school committee.
Others decided to enroll their children in private schools, other public schools through the school choice program, Blue Hills Regional Technical School or charter schools.
Silverman said that among those who left “there were a number of concerns about safety” in the schools.
Three murders since June 2006 have involved Randolph High School students. One of the shootings was in Boston, the other two in Randolph. None took place on school property.
“We hate to see children leave,” Silverman said. “It has a financial impact on the district.”
Silverman said he does not have an exact number of students who left the Randolph schools, but he said the system has been experiencing an annual student turnover of about 20 percent.
Since the 2001-02 school year, enrollment in the Randolph school system has declined by 950 students, or nearly a quarter. In many of those years, the schools have had to eliminate programs or cut services because of budget restrictions.
For much of that time, enrollment in all of Massachusetts has remained fairly steady. The current year’s state figures aren’t available.
School committee Chairman Larry Azer said it doesn’t matter what is causing the decline – “We have to stop it.”
As part of a strategic plan approved by the committee Thursday night, one of the goals is bringing students back into the school system “by improving achievement for all students and replacing lost services.”
This year, the school system closed a school, eliminated school bus service and reduced the staff by more than 30 employees because expenses increased much more than the school budget.
The biggest declines took place in the lower grades, with enrollment in the grades one through six elementary schools dropping by 145 students. Kindergarten enrollment dropped by 40 students, and pre-kindergarten by 20.
Enrollment at Randolph High School is about the same, but there are 52 fewer students at Randolph Community Middle School.
More than half of the elementary classrooms have 25 or more students, with two fifth grade and two sixth grade classes with 29 students.
The loss of 272 students could cost the cash-strapped schools $1.5 million in state aid.