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Roaring Fork Schools warn of early enrollment shortfall and $500,000 revenue gap
Summary
Superintendent Doctor Anakol told the board the district is tracking about 120 fewer students than budgeted so far, a shortfall the district estimates could reduce per‑pupil revenue by roughly $500,000; staff have paused nonessential hiring and begun contingency budget reviews pending the October count.
Superintendent Doctor Anakol said at the Roaring Fork School District No. Re‑1 board meeting that early enrollment figures are running below expectations and the district is treating the situation cautiously. When the board packet was prepared the district was about 100 students under budget; as of the meeting the gap had widened to about 120 students. Anakol told the board the district estimates the current enrollment loss could translate into roughly a $500,000 deficit in per‑pupil revenue for the 2526 budget.
The superintendent said the district is still in monitoring mode and will await the official October count before locking in revenue estimates and more extensive budget decisions. In the interim the district has instituted a hiring pause for open positions, added a tighter review of new expenditures and begun contingency planning to determine whether some allocated dollars will actually be spent this year.
Board members pressed staff for more detail on where withdrawn students are going and whether neighboring districts or new schools are drawing students from Roaring Fork. Doctor Anakol said the district currently lacks definitive out‑migration data but expects more precise information after the October count and pledged to return with a deeper analysis, including in‑district versus out‑of‑district comparisons.
Kelly Medina, director of student family services, told the board the district’s withdrawal data give clues but do not explain the complex reasons families leave. Medina listed probable factors including cost of living pressures, immigration climate concerns, out‑of‑state moves and economic considerations. She added that the district’s family liaisons and partner organizations will continue wraparound services and outreach to support families during transitions.
The board and district leaders said the enrollment shortfall compounds an already tight fiscal environment. Doctor Anakol noted that the district used demographer projections to build a conservative budget and that leadership has spent significant time on contingency planning and re‑evaluating staffing ratios. The district said it will continue to refine numbers and present a more detailed fiscal analysis after the October count.
