Enrollment steady at about 17 students per elementary classroom; hotel shelter closures expected to reduce some counts

District staff told the School Committee overall enrollment trends are stable, with elementary class sizes averaging about 17 students per section and registration continuing over the summer.

“District wide is about 17 students per classroom,” Robin Miliano, student information staff, told the committee. She said approximately 40 students across elementary, middle and high school have registered since May 1 and that the district expects more summer registrations even as some families move away.

Why this matters: Enrollment numbers drive staffing and classroom section counts, which affect budgets and class sizes. Staff said they had increased Memorial School back to 24 sections for the coming year to keep class sizes near 15–17.

Shelter changes: Staff said a state action to close emergency hotel shelters is moving families into permanent housing. Robin Miliano said the district anticipates a decline in students from the hotel on South Ave (formerly referred to in the meeting as Second Ave) by July 31: “At the height, we probably had, you know, close to 45 students, from our pre k through our high school,” she said, and added most relocated students have gone to other districts.

Kindergarten and preschool notes: The district said Memorial School plans five kindergarten sections (about 75 kindergarteners, roughly 15 per class). The Burlington Early Childhood Center uses neighborhood and integrated preschool slots rather than a blind lottery; the morning preschool spots were reported full while some afternoon spots remained available.

Next steps: Staff will continue to provide summer enrollment updates and said current budgets and staffing do not require adding classrooms at this time.

Ending: Committee members thanked staff and asked for continued updates through the summer as registrations and withdrawals are finalized.