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Superintendent reports roughly 100-student enrollment decline; district tracking reasons
Summary
Superintendent Patrick told the board the district is about 100 students down this year, with many families moving out of state, transferring to nearby districts, or choosing homeschool; district staff are tracking transfers and reasons.
Superintendent Patrick told the board the district has lost about 100 students this school year and described the district’s process for tracking departures and reasons.
Patrick said about 30% of departing students moved out of state and other families transferred to nearby Northwest Arkansas districts such as Springdale or Huntsville. He said roughly 14–15% of the departures were to homeschooling; the district’s Sager Creek Classical Academy and Inspire STEAM Academy are currently counted as homeschool in state records when families choose that route.
Patrick said district staff maintain a spreadsheet to log each departure and the transfer destination when known. He told the board principals sometimes speak directly with families about reasons for leaving, but many transfers are recorded through Triand, the state records transfer system, without a direct conversation.
Board members asked whether the district could collect more consistent data on reasons for departure. Patrick said staff will try to improve collection where possible, though some transfers arrive solely as electronic records.
Patrick and the board emphasized that the district will try to address trends if patterns emerge, while respecting families’ choices.
No policy action was taken; the report was presented for the board’s information and follow up.
