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Falmouth enrollment dips; MCAS shows gains in early grades and mixed results in middle school
Summary
District officials presented October 1 enrollment numbers showing a continuing decline and walked committee members through spring 2025 MCAS results, which included gains in early grades and areas of concern in Grade 7 writing and for some special‑education cohorts.
District staff presented October 1 enrollment figures and the spring 2025 MCAS analysis to the Falmouth School Committee on Oct. 25, outlining steady population decline alongside pockets of academic growth.
Enrollment: The district reported total enrollment of about 2,825 students. The presentation highlighted uneven grade‑level cohorts: fourth grade stands out at roughly 259 students while this year’s kindergarten cohort is 173, a drop from prior large cohorts. The district also reported 135 preschool students in its October submission and 31 out‑of‑district special‑education placements at the time of the presentation; staff noted the numbers change during the year.
School‑choice enrollment was unchanged from the prior fiscal year at about 175 students, the presenter said. Committee members requested additional detail: several asked for printed copies of the slides, a school‑by‑school breakdown of results, out‑migration figures for school‑choice students, and a district retention and recruitment plan to respond to long‑term population declines.
MCAS and achievement trends: Dr. Teilher (administrator) presented the spring 2025 MCAS data. The district performed at or above the state average in multiple grades and subjects. In English language arts, Falmouth’s third‑grade results improved year‑over‑year and exceeded the state percentage meeting or exceeding. The committee heard that Grade 7 showed comparatively lower writing scores and that staff are revising curriculum and assessments for that cohort. Grade 10 performance showed strengths in writing and continued moderate growth.
Staff responded to committee requests by flagging the following follow‑ups: provide school‑by‑school breakdowns for math and ELA (grades 3–8), disaggregate out‑migration and school‑choice inflow/outflow data for the most recent year, and return with a draft retention and recruitment strategy that could include CTE (career and technical education) enhancements and outreach.
Ending: Committee members asked that staff provide printed copies of the enrollment packet, schedule a fuller presentation on retention/recruitment strategies (including potential CTE options), and return MCAS cohort trend lines for the previous several administrations to help identify persistent grade‑level issues.
