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District says hundreds of students left in recent years; staff propose exit interviews and outreach
Summary
Staff told the board the district has lost hundreds of students over the past decade and a half and identified nearby districts and charters as destinations; staff proposed more exit interviews, outreach and showcases to retain families.
Staff presented school‑of‑choice and enrollment data showing long‑term declines and where families have taken students. The agency official said the district has been declining for at least 15 years, moving from roughly 22,000 students to below 14,000, and provided examples of where lost students enrolled: "71 of the students that left us went to another public school system in San Marcos," the official said, and listed other destinations including Poway and San Diego Unified.
Staff highlighted one discrete set of losses tied to school‑of‑choice seats: 186 students who applied but were not accommodated in specialty options, representing about $2.4 million in revenue this year using a per‑student figure staff described as approximately $14,000. Trustees and staff discussed greater outreach to 3rd‑grade families, exit interviews for families that leave, bussing 5th graders to middle school showcases, and interest surveys at schools to gauge appetite for TK‑6 or 5th‑grade on‑ramps.
Trustees asked for follow up on the reasons families leave and on data collection plans. Staff said they already do some exit outreach for interdistrict transfer notices and will expand efforts to capture more reasons for departures and to market district options earlier in families’ decision cycles.
