Meeting Preview: School District Enrollment to Continue Decline

On Tuesday night, Lakeville's School Board will hear the results of a recently completed enrollment study, and the projections aren't good if you want more students in Lakeville's schools.

During the regular School Board meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the , Hazel Reinhardt, the district's demographer, will what many Lakeville residents have known for a while: enrollment in Lakeville's public schools will continue its downward trend over the next five years thanks to an aging population.

The trend is troubling for a cash-strapped school district like Lakeville. The state gives the district $8,918 in funding for each pupil it teaches. Fewer students mean less money.

in the 2005-2006 school year when Lakeville's kindergarten classes became smaller than the previous year’s senior class. Since then, the phenomenon has permeated to all grades. The elementary grades are smaller than the middle school grades and the middle school grades are smaller than the high school grades.

The result, according to could mean a five year loss of as many as 650 students, or as few as 143, though, Reinhardt says in her report she expects the number to be nearer the high mark. In either case, it would mark a significant loss of funding for the district.

Generally speaking, Lakeville schools receive $1 million in state funding a year for every 112 students. A decline of 650 students would be more than $5.7 million annually.

will have more on this story tomorrow.

In addition, the board will also likely approve the 2011-2013 non-affiliated employee agreements as negotiated.

Also this week, Lakeville's Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, at , and the Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, also at City Hall.