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School board approves new enrollment study with Hazel Reinhart; report expected by June
Summary
The Shakopee School Board approved a contract with demographer Hazel Reinhart to produce updated enrollment projections, citing unusual recent enrollment shifts and the need for updated data to inform budgeting and facilities planning.
The Shakopee School Board voted to contract with demographer Hazel Reinhart to update the district’s enrollment projections, a study administrators said is needed given recent irregularities in birth rates and post‑pandemic enrollment patterns.
Bill Nazzi, the district’s director of finance, told the board the district has used Hazel Reinhart for past studies dating back to 2003 and described her as a recognized expert in enrollment forecasting. Nazzi and other administrators said Reinhart’s models typically incorporate birth-rate trends, housing development, open‑enrollment behavior, charter-school shifts and other local data that the district’s internal tools do not model to the same extent. The district aims to receive the final enrollment report and projections from Hazel Reinhart and present it to the board in June 2025, though staff noted that timeline might require flexibility.
Board members said they valued an updated study to reconcile enrollment committee projections with staffing and budget planning. The board approved the contract by voice vote with a motion by Aldrich and a second by Brophy; the motion carried unanimously.
