District officials told the board that CCSD’s student headcount at the start of the 2025–26 school year was 4,245, down 178 from the May count of 4,423 that appears in district records presented to trustees.
Data presenters said the reporting date for the slides was Aug. 11 and provided school‑level totals: Kirtland Central High School 715, Shiprock High School 450, Newcomb High School 207, Kerr Prep 120 and explicit elementary, middle and Head Start totals for the district. Presenters showed differences between the May and August counts by site (for example, Judy Nelson Elementary down 50 students from 469 to 419; Kirtland Elementary down 22; Kerr Prep up 21; and some middle schools showing increases and decreases correlated with sixth‑grade assignment changes).
Board members and staff discussed causes. Administrators noted a shift that moved sixth graders to elementary schools in some communities this year; they also gave a preliminary breakdown of where students left the district: 65 to Farmington schools, 49 to Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, 32 out‑of‑state, 14 to Aztec, 2 to Bloomfield, 6 to Gallup, 13 to Navajo Prep, 7 in other in‑state districts, 29 unknown (waivers not returned), plus a few to virtual and charter options. Staff highlighted that 17 students from Kirtland Central High School appear in Farmington enrollment records and that several Kirtland area transfers are a notable pattern.
Trustees flagged the fiscal effect. Using a conservative per‑pupil revenue estimate cited in the meeting, a board member computed an approximate revenue impact in the low‑millions, saying a 178‑student decline at about $14,000 per pupil “comes out to about $2.5 million.” Administrators did not confirm a single dollar total in that discussion but acknowledged the budgetary pressure from enrollment declines and the need for retention efforts.
Board members asked staff to provide a grade‑level breakdown of the enrollment changes, a school‑by‑school roll‑forward of where students transferred, and recurring updates of enrollment snapshots. Staff indicated they can supply the grade‑level data and are preparing more detailed reports; one staff member said the district’s data office maintains an enrollment staging area for incoming students until required documentation is complete.
Trustees discussed potential causes beyond sixth‑grade assignment changes, including families choosing neighboring districts, charter and virtual options and students moving out of state; one audience speaker suggested a nearby private school opened to more grade levels and drew some students. Board members asked the administration to develop strategies to “stop the bleeding” by sharing more about district successes and program offerings with families and the community.