Dr. Bennett, superintendent, told the DeSoto County School Board the district’s 20-day enrollment count is down roughly 150 students compared with last year and said that loss represents about $1.3 million in revenue. He added that, combined with funds he said were withheld by the state, the district faces about $3.6 million in reduced funding.

Why it matters: the board and district staff said the shortfall would require immediate cost controls and an outreach campaign to try to restore enrollment. Without additional revenue or savings, administrators said they will need to restrict some discretionary spending and change operations.

Discussion and details: Bennett said the district’s February 2021 enrollment was about 4,800 students and current enrollment is in the low 4,000s (he cited figures of 4,060–4,070). He said private-school and home-school enrollment increases have reduced district numbers. To address the decline, Bennett described plans to bring representatives from CASIA, a recruitment firm, to brief the board on a campaign planned to begin in November; he asked staff member Anna to arrange a workshop, likely at 3:30 p.m. on a board-meeting day or by Zoom.

Bennett listed possible administrative cost-saving measures under consideration, including limiting travel and workshops, requiring use of district vehicles, and restricting motel nights unless an alternate funding source is found. He said changes would be issued via administrative memorandum so staff and schools would know the new limits.

Board reaction: board members praised recent "view visits" to schools and said they welcomed efforts to improve curriculum and competitiveness. No formal board vote on budget cuts or recruitment spending occurred at the meeting.

What’s next: staff were directed to schedule the CASIA briefing and to continue identifying administrative cost reductions; district leaders said further details, including any formal budget amendments, will come as the recruitment plan and revenue estimates are refined.