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October enrollment stable; district details Choice program and staff tuition slots
Summary
At the Oct. 22 meeting the district reported October 1 enrollment was roughly even with last year (two students higher), described Choice program counts and staff-student tuition slots priced at $8,000 per year, and noted a 9-student cohort drop from grade 8 to 9.
District officials presented the annual October enrollment report during the Oct. 22 Board of Education meeting and told members enrollment is effectively stable compared with last year.
"At this point, we're able to do the report after October 1... we find that this year, we have we're 2 students more than last year," Oliver Barton said. The transcript indicates that figure brings total district enrollment to 2,926 students (district statement phrased as "02/1926" in the packet), a small year‑to‑year increase.
Officials reported several enrollment details relevant for budgeting and program planning:
- Choice program: There are 104 students participating in the state Choice program, the same number as the prior year, officials said. The district said it concentrates Choice lottery placements on pre-K through grade 3 to promote continuity.
- Staff tuition and out-of-district staff slots: The district operates a one-year staff-student enrollment option (for staff children) and a separate higher-tuition out-of-district option. Officials said six students of employees were participating under the current staff/employee slot program. Four students are enrolled under the earlier tuition policy that charged $8,000 per student in elementary grades; the district projected $34,500 in revenue from the combined tuition programs for the year and said marketing may grow participation.
- Special programs and BASIS/TEPCEP: Enrollment in BASIS, TEPCEP and related technical programs is up "by a few students," officials said; the district noted capacity constraints in those programs vary.
- Cohort attrition: When board members asked about cohort changes, the director said one cohort dropped from 183 in grade 8 to 174 in grade 9, a loss of nine students. District staff said the departures in that cohort were mixed — private schools, out of state and technical school enrollments were among the outcomes — and offered to provide a more exact breakdown on request.
Board members asked whether the NESDEC (New England School Development Consortium) projection of slow regional declines included Choice students; staff said NESDEC projections begin from current enrollment figures, which already include Choice slots, so Choice students were part of the baseline.
District speakers cautioned that staff and out-of-district slots are year-to-year privileges, not guaranteed long-term placements. "These are all one‑year commitments by the school district," a district presenter said; families must reapply annually and the superintendent retains discretion if class sizes change.
Ending: Staff agreed to provide a follow-up breakdown of where the nine students in the cohort moved and to keep the board updated as marketing for the staff‑tuition program continues.
