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District reports smaller kindergarten cohort, smoother online registration after PowerSchool forms roll-out
Summary
District data director reported a smaller kindergarten cohort and early enrollment figures, and said a new PowerSchool forms rollout improved returns and reduced in-person registration lines; he said the district cannot reliably distinguish whether students leaving used vouchers.
Michael Kars, the district's student information director, told the Cleveland City Schools Board that the state's abrupt transition from the EIS reporting system to a new state system (referred to as TEDS/EDFAI) means the district may have less precision in early reports and asked for patience as the transition proceeds.
Kars reported enrollment activity for the start of the year: about 650 new enrollments, roughly 570 transfers out, and 155 students who transferred between elementary schools. He highlighted a notably smaller kindergarten cohort, consistent with national birth-rate trends and possible "redshirting" after COVID-era effects.
On registration technology, Kars said the district switched returning-student registrations to PowerSchool forms and saw improved completion: in the first 13 days the district recorded approximately 1,300 more completed forms than the prior year. He said the district processed about 5,200 students and roughly 36,000 form submissions in the initial period and reported about 97% completion for items his team supported.
Board members asked whether the state voucher/private-school program is affecting district enrollment. Kars said the district receives records when students enroll elsewhere but cannot reliably determine whether families are using vouchers; "we really are kind of flying blind in that area," he said. He committed to follow up with more precise counts on students who left for private schools.
Board members and the superintendent said the new forms appeared to reduce in-person registration lines and improve parent experience at some schools, with staff able to walk families through remaining tasks by phone or at school sites.
Kars said the district will continue monitoring enrollment trends and the state reporting transition and will return with more precise data as systems stabilize.
