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Murray County Schools officials flag enrollment drop and high chronic absenteeism
Summary
District staff told the board an estimated loss of students in the October FTE cycle and chronic‑absence rates above the state average, warning lower enrollment will reduce state funding and unpaid local dollars will need to cover staffing gaps.
Presenter (speaker 2) told the board at the start of the meeting that October full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) counts show year‑to‑year declines in several cohorts and that the district expects its allotment sheet to show roughly 6,502 FTE next year, down from about 6,668 this past year. "We're gonna lose 166 kids off of this sheet," the presenter said.
The presenter explained how the state QBE formula funds schools: a base rate (presented in the packet as about "$31.97 per student") is multiplied by program weights for EIP, special education, gifted, CTAE and others; those multipliers can raise per‑pupil revenue but cannot fully offset an overall enrollment decline. The presenter warned that state funding reductions translate into fewer state‑funded teacher positions: "last year the state's gonna pay for 442 teachers; the year before, the state paid for 450," the presenter said, adding that positions above the state count must be covered from local dollars.
Board members and staff described where students are leaving to enroll. Staff said many older students choose Mountain Education and night‑school options to accommodate work schedules, while others are increasingly homeschooled — which the district cannot reliably track. "A lot of them are going...we've lost a lot to Mountain Ed because of the night school option," one administrator said.
Attendance data was a central concern. The presenter showed the state attendance dashboard and told the board that Murray County's chronic‑absence rate (students missing 10% or more of school days, defined as 16+ days) was about 23.3%, above the Georgia average of roughly 21.3%. The presenter highlighted a particularly high rate for seniors, saying "36 percent of our seniors are out 16 or more days." The presenter linked attendance directly to test‑score struggles: "If a third of my kids aren't in school...that's almost a month of school."
Discussion focused on causes and potential responses: work and family obligations, transient housing patterns, cultural differences, post‑COVID attendance norms, and motivation. Board members asked about incentives and scheduling shifts; staff noted the district has reinstated exam exemptions tied to attendance and discussed possible staggered start times and attendance rewards as pilot options. One board member raised the question of attendance parties and other eligibility incentives for extracurriculars; staff reported several in‑school incentives already in use.
The presenter said the district will prioritize attendance and enrollment strategies during the upcoming budget season and will return to the board with more targeted proposals and updated allotment sheets when they are available.
