ConVal district schools are projected to have about 40 fewer students enrolled in the ’17-’18 than it did at the beginning of the ’16-’17 school year, according to numbers presented at a school board meeting.
In October, the district recorded 2,149 students in its system, a number that has since increased to 2,194. That rising student-enrollment trend is not projected to continue though, with preliminary numbers showing that the ‘17-‘18 school year may decrease by 37 compared to numbers collected in October of 2016.
The largest drop may occur in students in grades 9 through 12, which are projected to fall from 751 students enrolled to 718. Student enrollment is projected to drop by 7 students in kindergarten through 8. And the district says it may add three students in grades 5 through 8.
“These are very, very rough estimates,” said Tim Markley, who is the director of human resources for the school.
He said the numbers are not that accurate until around June.
“Lots of things can change,” Markley said.
The numbers dictate if the school will implement multi-age, multi-grade classrooms and how many teachers and staff it will have on board.
Enrollment has been steadily declining for at least a decade. In the ‘06-’07 school year, the district had 3,104 students enrolled, a number that has steadily fallen by nearly 1,000 students.
The district now faces tough decisions about how to operate efficiently while receiving less state funding, which is, in large part, doled out based on student enrollment. ConVal has 11 buildings to maintain, many of which are due for significant updates.
Elementary school consolidation discussions have started happening in various towns within the district as a way to cut costs. Already Dublin Consolidated School has moved its fifth-graders to South Meadow School, although even that change is not permanent. The district has also merged two different grades into one room in four different circumstances this year to boost class sizes.
School board members approved a monetary donation for the purpose of matching funds for the STEAM Grant through the NH State Council on the Arts.
Stan Fry, of Peterborough, donated $1,000 to the high school.
Abby Kessler can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 234.