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District staff report rising homeschool and Hope Scholarship exits, propose neighborhood outreach plan
Summary
District staff presented preliminary unenrollment data showing homeschooling and Hope Scholarship exits as leading categories and proposed a grassroots outreach effort — canvassing events, consistent presence at local fairs and QR-code materials — to retain and recruit students.
A staff presentation to the Harrison County Board of Education on May 6 reviewed preliminary unenrollment data and proposed a low-cost, community-based outreach strategy to help the district respond to student departures.
The staff presenter described categories used in state unenrollment data and said "Homeschooling is the leader right now," with Hope Scholarship and charter school enrollments also significant. The presenter cautioned this was a "living document" and noted data limitations: the state data source (unenrollment exports) did not always reconcile with other district systems and did not include students who reenrolled.
Staff said many pre-K withdrawals reflected three-year-old Head Start enrollments and recommended manual checks for student-level clarifications. They also noted the state’s new board-level requirement to inform families about charter options when doing outreach.
To increase visibility and retain students, the presenter proposed a "guerrilla marketing" outreach plan focused on regular presence at community events (fairs, national night out, youth sports openings), consistent materials (calendars, QR codes pointing to district enrollment and option information) and neighborhood canvassing. The staff asked for board direction and volunteers to participate in outreach; board members indicated support for forming a team and contributing staff time and presence at events. No formal policy change or new funding was adopted at the meeting.
