DeSoto County schools report 150‑student drop and roughly $3.6 million shortfall; district plans recruitment push and spending limits

The DeSoto County School District is down about 150 students from last year and faces an estimated funding shortfall of roughly $3.6 million, Superintendent Dr. Bennett told the school board at its meeting. The board heard that a recruitment campaign and administrative spending limits are planned to try to close the gap. The shortfall matters because lower enrollment reduces state funding tied to average daily attendance and the district also experienced an additional withholding by the state, Dr. Bennett said. He told the board the enrollment loss “equates to about $1,300,000,” and that an…