Board hears Hogan Elementary enrollment update as families decide whether to enroll

School administrators told the Rice Lake Area School District Board on April 27 that Hogan Elementary’s enrollment will hinge on parent responses to a district survey and follow-up outreach.

Administrators said they sent a survey to about 140 families and, as of the afternoon before the meeting, roughly 29 families had not yet responded. "We still have about 29... the parents of about 29 children have yet to respond," an administrator said, and staff will follow up with phone calls and report back at the May 11 board meeting.

The presentation reviewed prior board action to revise attendance boundaries and to allow district families to voluntarily enroll at Hogan if space is available, with families outside the revised boundaries responsible for their own transportation. Administrators provided current counts by grade and said some families asked for more information or scheduled tours.

Board members asked whether long-term enrollment and local housing development would sustain Hogan. Administrators replied forecasting is difficult — particularly for birth-to-three counts — and said the most accurate numbers emerge during child-find and enrollment work each spring and summer, when counts sometimes increase by 20–30 students.

Administrators said multi-age classrooms could be used if needed, but parameters (class sizes, grade mixes) still required board guidance. The presentation noted next steps: collect final survey responses, make follow-up phone calls, allow voluntary option enrollment if space exists, and return updated figures to the board on May 11.

The board did not take a final decision on Hogan’s long-term configuration at the April 27 meeting; the item remains under review with specific enrollment numbers to be reported at the next meeting.