Douglas enrollment continues decline

Since 2005, enrollment in Douglas County schools has gone in one direction - down.

This year's numbers corroborate the trend. Compared to last year's 6,550 students, the district enrolled 6,459 students for the 2009-10 school year, a loss of 91 students, or a 1.4 percent decline.

"It's bad news, but not as bad as we thought," Chief Financial Officer Holly Luna said Tuesday. "The population as a whole in the district is down from previous years, but not as low as we projected."

Last year, the district was down 205 students, or a 3-percent decline. Since the decade's peak in 2004-05, when 7,210 were enrolled, the district has lost 751 students.

The losses have taken place at both Lake and Valley schools.

In 2007-08, the Lake schools enrolled 516 students. After the closure of Kingsbury Middle School and the consolidation with Whittell High, that number dropped to 462 last year. This year, the Lake schools enrolled 454 students. Whittell lost 34 students, but Zephyr Cove Elementary gained 25.

In the Valley, Douglas High took the biggest hit with a 90-student loss. The high school enrolled 1,380 students compared to last year's 1,470, a 6.1 percent decrease.

Other losses were seen at Scarselli Elementary, which lost eight students from last year, Minden Elementary which lost two, and Jacks Valley which lost 12 students.

The wild card in the deck was Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School, which unexpectedly gained 31 students. The school enrolled 610 compared to last year's 579, a 5.4 percent bounce.

Carson Valley Middle School saw a small gain of five students, Gardnerville Elementary had an increase of four, and Meneley an increase of three.

Pinon Hills Elementary School stayed flat. Last fall, the school enrolled 506 students, 31 over the school's 475-student capacity, and exactly the same number enrolled this year.

In early summer, when Pinon Hills parents were campaigning for modular classrooms, the school's numbers had ballooned closer to 530.

"I think our numbers will continue to climb," Principal Rommy Cronin said Tuesday. "The bottom line is that we are still overcrowded. Space is limited. The school was not built for 500 students."

In August, school board members voted to earmark money for a portable at the school; however, final action will depend on a facilities master plan now being developed by outside consultants.

"I'm pretty confident there will be some recommendation," Cronin said.

Another decline was seen in the district's alternative education programs, including Jacobsen High at China Spring Youth Camp. Last year, the programs enrolled 96 students compared to this year's 87, a 9.4-percent loss.

Luna said in cases of declining enrollment, the state has a hold harmless provision that uses the previous year's numbers to calculate per-pupil funding. However, if enrollment continues to dip, the district will be funded next year using this year's numbers.

"It's a differential of about half a million dollars," Luna said. "It's not a small chunk of change we're talking about."

Luna also said that funding is based on weighted enrollment. The district only gets 60 percent of this year's $5,333-per-pupil amount for every kindergarten and pre-kindergarten student.

This year, 478 students fall into that category, translating into 286.8 pupils. A further subtraction of 52 Alpine County students, who are funded by California, leaves this year's final weighted enrollment at 6,215.8.