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Wareham committee reviews attendance and enrollment report as senior class size shrinks
Summary
Committee members reviewed a student-attendance report showing declines in some categories, a projected senior class of about 77 and a net drop of roughly 19 students choosing out-of-district public schools, officials said.
The Wareham School Committee reviewed a student-attendance report Thursday that showed continued demographic declines and a drop in the number of students choosing out-of-district public schools.
Dr. DeAndrea, presenting the updated student-attendance packet, said the report showed "a drop of about 19 students" in those attending out-of-district public schools compared with the prior count. Committee members and staff said they will continue to monitor whether that represents a trend.
Committee member Jeff observed that the district’s projected senior class of 77 is small compared with historical numbers and said broader demographic change — fewer births and an aging population — accounts for much of the enrollment decline. "We're just getting older and kids are having fewer kids," Jeff said during the discussion.
Board members discussed follow-up work: Superintendent's staff said they will revisit outreach to families who choose to send children to other districts and consider surveying families who returned to Wareham about the reasons for coming back. Committee members identified out-of-district public school enrollment as the category to target for retention efforts; school leaders said they will collect additional data before recommending outreach strategies.
The presentation included an invitation to look at several district initiatives meant to showcase offerings — vocational-technical participation, new course offerings and extracurricular events — that committee members said could be highlighted to families exploring other options.
The committee did not take a formal vote on policy during that discussion but directed staff to gather additional enrollment-survey data and report back at a future meeting.
