Brazosport ISD reports multi-year enrollment declines; district enrollment down 2.4% year-to-date

Mr. Ron Redden presented an enrollment update showing district enrollment running about 2.4% behind last year and a multi-year downward trend. Staff compared current enrollment to prior official counts and presented 10-year trends dating to 2016—2017. The presentation highlighted a steep decline in the Brazosport High School feeder pattern (the transcript cites a 31.4% drop for that feeder since 2017) and smaller decreases in other feeder patterns alongside some gains in selected campuses.

Staff identified primary drivers as population decline, lack of available housing, competitive developments in nearby corridors and homeschooling. The slides attributed an earlier enrollment dip to labor- and industry-related population shifts after 2019 and to the pandemic period. Redden noted the district's transient population, reporting that last year the district lost over 700 students after the school year began while also gaining more than 500 students during the year.

Trustees asked how the district documents students withdrawn to homeschooling; staff said parents must provide notification and that when families do not provide documentation the district must move students to the dropout list. Presenters said some students who were withdrawn to homeschool have later re-enrolled in the district.

Staff recommended continued monitoring of trends and described operational implications (attendance funding, comparability for Title I, and campus-level planning). The board had follow-up exchanges seeking numeric detail about homeschooling and return-to-school rates.