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Board hears enrollment decline and virtual-charter growth; district flags virtual recruitment concerns
Summary
Administrators reported net enrollment declines, school-by-school withdrawals and a large net increase at Evergreen (virtual charter). The board discussed statewide trends in virtual enrollment (≈5.3%) and concerns about online-charter recruitment and graduation outcomes.
District staff presented detailed enrollment and withdrawal figures and traced where departing students have gone. The high school started the year at about 627 students and ended at about 562, with 138 withdrawals; middle- and elementary-level figures showed variable mobility. Bruce said withdrawals are offset in some schools by incoming students, but overall enrollment is declining statewide and locally.
The presentation singled out Evergreen, the virtual charter, which the district reported had a large net increase in enrollment (a net increase of 256 students was cited for the current year), and noted that statewide public virtual enrollment has risen to roughly 5.3% of students. Administrators and board members discussed recruitment practices by some online charters and differing graduation outcomes for virtual programs.
Superintendent Tim contrasted the district’s graduation outcomes with some online programs, noting that while some virtual charters report much lower graduation rates, students with strong family supports can succeed in online settings. Board members asked staff to continue tracking destinations of departing students and to report back with clearer data about how many former in-person students moved to virtual charters.
