District resource report flags three-year enrollment drop and $11,500-per-student funding shortfall

District staff delivered a resource and class-size report Nov. 13 that detailed substitute coverage, staffing FTEs and the enrollment trends shaping class offerings.

The presentation noted substitute-billing rates improved to about 96% this year and that the district has made staffing adjustments across grade bands. Staff told the board the high school has lost about 129 students over a three‑year period and is currently about 75 students short of the enrollment projection used in the budget. The superintendent put the state school fund per‑student figure discussed in the meeting at roughly $11,500 per high‑school student and described the difference as ‘‘a big budgetary difference’’ the district is managing, while assuring employees ‘‘our staff will not see major layoffs’’ and describing the current work as contingency planning pending the state economic forecast in February.

Board members and staff discussed how the shift from trimester to semester and changes in staffing/scheduling influenced class sections and course availability. Presenters said elective and course offerings have been reduced in some areas to absorb a roughly 6 FTE reduction in high-school staffing, and they shared plans to rebalance schedules for the second semester to mitigate inequities in class sizes.

Staff emphasized that some changes (e.g., check-in/check-out, PBIS supports and listening-session adjustments) were already being implemented to address behavior and instruction concerns. The board asked staff to return with more detailed withdrawal data and projections tied to local housing developments that could affect midyear enrollment.