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October headcount below budget: district reports 6,324 students and funded estimate 6,197.9
Summary
Finance staff reported an October headcount of 6,324 students (including Monument Academy) and projected a funded count of 6,197.9 — below the budgeted number; mobility and out‑of‑district choice (803 students) were highlighted as material risks for forecasting and the upcoming amended budget.
The board received the finance department's October enrollment and fiscal briefing on Nov. 17, which showed a headcount of 6,324 and a funded‑student estimate of 6,197.9 — both figures that will feed an amended budget discussion in January.
Mr. Ridgeway described substantial student churn: 997 students enrolled this year were not enrolled last year (356 entered via preschool/kindergarten but about 640 were new to grades 1–12). The district reported 803 out‑of‑district choice students concentrated at the secondary level, with Monument Academy and the high schools receiving large shares.
"This is the other side of choice enrollment. Choice enrollment is widely seen as a good thing, but it really starts to become a complication for us now that it's material," Mr. Ridgeway said, describing how choice patterns complicate enrollment forecasting and budget planning.
The finance briefing included a net cash/reserve discussion: monthly operating burn (excluding capital) was described as a little less than $5 million; projected year‑end reserves were cited around $8 million (inclusive of TABOR reserves), leaving limited monthly buffer and prompting the administration’s plan to present an amended budget to the board.
Board members asked for additional breakdowns (by school, by reason families choose to attend another district or school) and requested a clear presentation of unanticipated costs tied to enrollment variances. Administration agreed to produce a more detailed Gantt/metrics dashboard and to provide context on mill levy certification ahead of December procedures.
