When the Orcas Island School District (OISD) board met last Thursday, March 26, they decided by consensus to project enrollment at 440 for the 2009-2010 school year. Board member Keith Whitaker said, “I think we’re on the low side of where we’ll end up.”
That would be a good thing for the school district, as its funding from the state is dependent upon school enrollment. Last year, enrollment was conservatively projected at 439, and the district wound up with 22 students more than that number.
This year, Whitaker projects a 444 enrollment number. As he did last year, Whitaker analyzed enrollment figures and finds a key component in enrollment numbers is the differential between the sizes of the outgoing graduating class and the incoming kindergarten classes.
OISD Board Member Tony Ghazel noted that in a small school like Orcas, “A 5 to 10 swing in student numbers is a big deal.”
And while the economic downturn may spur some families to move off-island, several board members stated that it is just as likely that other families with school-age children will be moving to or returning to Orcas Island and enrolling in the public school.
OISD Superintendent and High School Principal Barbara Kline commented, “We may lose kids, but we may also gain some too, because of economics.”
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