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Board hears analysis showing flat enrollment; nonresident students previously boosted revenue
Summary
CFO Zach Wyatt told trustees long-term ADM has been largely flat and that the district's prior acceptance of nonresident students materially increased revenue; trustees discussed demographic trends and tradeoffs between enrollment and local tax base.
Administrators told the Penn-Harris-Madison board that long-term enrollment has been relatively flat and that nonresident students have materially affected per‑student revenue calculations.
CFO Zach Wyatt reviewed a 10-year pattern of largely static ADM punctuated by a 2019–20 spike to 11,262 and a most recent certified average of roughly 10,805. He said state tuition support tied to ADM drives roughly two‑thirds of district revenue. "If you project that out and if we stayed level, it's a big difference," Wyatt said, referring to the revenue impact of higher historical ADM.
A trustee noted the district previously enrolled about 2,000 out‑of‑district students and framed that as a policy decision that altered funding. A trustee said, "Take 2,000 students times 7,300. That's 1,000,000 and $0.5 per student that we would have." Wyatt and trustees discussed demographic shifts (aging population, lower birth rates) and district outreach efforts such as new registration processes to boost kindergarten counts and slow decline.
Board members asked for enrollment scenarios that show how differing ADM outcomes would affect the 2027 budget and future reserve levels. Wyatt said certified ADM will not be final until October and the administration will provide updated projections once counts are certified.
