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District reports third‑Friday enrollment drop to 3,732; administration flags roughly $2 million state aid shortfall
Summary
The Superior School District reported a third‑Friday headcount of 3,732 students, down from 3,896 the prior year; district staff attributed most of the decline to changes in a Head Start 4K agreement and to student migration, and warned of an approximately $2 million decrease in state equalization aid.
District staff reported a third‑Friday enrollment headcount of 3,732 students for the current year, down from 3,896 the previous year. The report identified several contributors to the decline: a loss of about 79 4K students tied to a change in a Head Start agreement, net migration out of the district (including families relocating out of state), and a net increase in open enrollment out to other districts and online providers.
The speaker (district staff reporting the count) said the Head Start arrangement had shifted so that Head Start schools retained 4K slots and the district’s half‑day 4K program lost students. “In essence, we lost those 77 kids or 79 kids, but we don't get to reduce anything,” the staff member said, noting the district still funds programming while losing the student count used for state aid calculations.
Open enrollment out totaled 201 students this year compared with 182 last year; open enrollment in to Superior was 47 this year (51 last year). Of the 201 who opened and left the district, the speaker said 98 enrolled in brick‑and‑mortar charter or other public schools and 103 enrolled in online programs; among brick‑and‑mortar destinations, 83 went to Maple and 15 to Solon (figures cited from the district’s tracking).
On finances, administration said equalization aid from the state is down about $2 million versus prior expectations, and provided a preliminary revenue snapshot to be published before the Oct. 27 budget hearing. The district cited a preliminary revenue figure in the meeting of roughly $57.9 million; administration emphasized that final equalized property valuation and aid figures from the state will be updated Oct. 15 and the levy and budget publication will follow the district’s legal notice schedule.
Why it matters
Enrollment counts drive state aid and staffing decisions. A shortfall in students and a drop in equalization aid have direct budgetary implications for staffing, programming and the district’s levy. The board will consider preliminary budget numbers and the district’s levy and tax rate at the Oct. 27 budget hearing.
Implementation/next steps
Administration will publish the preliminary budget and levy information in advance of the Oct. 27 hearing and return with detailed revenue and expenditure reports. The district plans to continue outreach to families who open‑enrolled out and to analyze enrollment patterns for planning.
