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Exeter superintendent launches student ambassador program and signals district enrollment study
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller announced a new student ambassador program and described enrollment volatility that prompted the district to commission an enrollment study tied to the Oct. 1 count.
At the Aug. 19, 2025 Exeter Township School Board voting meeting, Superintendent Dr. Christy Haller said the district is launching a student ambassador program in partnership with the Exeter Community Education Foundation and moving forward with an enrollment study to respond to recent fluctuations.
Haller said the student ambassador program debuted at staff opening-day events and includes roughly 16 high-school juniors and sophomores who will serve on ECEF committees, help with events and represent the high school at public functions. "The intent of this was to get students involved in education and hear their voice," Haller said, noting the ambassadors will receive community-service hours and participate in program development with administrators.
Board members raised questions about the district's fall enrollment. John Fidler, chair of the education committee, asked whether a roughly 50-student decline from last year's estimate was a cause for concern. Haller described recent year-to-year volatility and gave examples: within a week earlier in the summer, nine unexpected enrollments at Jacksonwald required the district to open a fourth kindergarten class there. She said such short-term changes can quickly shift staffing needs and class balances.
Haller told the board the district had retained consultant Matt Cropper to perform an enrollment study tied to the Oct. 1 count, which she described as a "critical, critical day" for determining official student population for planning purposes. The district has gathered most of the study data and will continue work after Oct. 1, she said. On redistricting, Haller said the district has not recently discussed boundary changes and that the enrollment study would provide information to guide any future conversations about attendance-area boundaries.
Haller also reminded the board that the schools would reopen later that week and praised staff for opening-day activities that launched the ambassador program.
Ending: The matters raised were informational; the board did not take formal action on redistricting or staffing at the meeting and directed staff to continue the enrollment study process tied to the Oct. 1 count.
