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Schools

School enrollment growth stalls

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 17, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - School districts will lose $203-million in state assistance because statewide enrollment increased by fewer than 500 students this year, far below what was projected, education officials said Thursday.

The 0.02 percent increase is the lowest since the 1981-82 school year, when statewide enrollment declined by less than a percentage point.

The net growth of 477 students brought statewide enrollment to 2,641,598. The Department of Education had projected an increase of 48,853 students, which lawmakers relied on when writing the budget.

The $203-million in enrollment-based funding that's no longer needed - out of $9.9-billion in state assistance - will return to Florida's treasury. School districts also will lose about $1-million out of $8.4-billion in local funding.

Cheri Pierson Yecke, state chancellor for kindergarten-Grade 12, said officials can only speculate on why enrollment growth has stagnated.

"There are multiple factors at play," Yecke said. "Affordable housing is one. Insurance costs is another, hurricane activity."

Nearly half of Florida's 67 school districts experienced enrollment declines. Some of those 29 counties have had large increases in housing costs, while many with the biggest growth have more affordable housing, Yecke said.

The Hillsborough school district expected 5,100 new students this year, but got only 1,400. The district should receive about $25-million less in funding than was budgeted this year, said Jim Hamilton, an administrator for special projects.

But the enrollment numbers aren't all bad news.

"This will make it easier for districts to meet class size requirements," Yecke said.

An amendment to the Florida Constitution that voters approved in 2002 sets ultimate classroom limits of 18 students for kindergarten through third grade, 22 for fourth through eighth grades and 25 for high school, to be achieved by 2010-11. The measure is being phased in; this year, each school's average class size must conform to the limits.

Education officials still estimate Florida will need 21,875 new teachers next year, based partly on a projection of slightly more than 30,000 new students. That projection is subject to change, though, in light of what happened this year.

[Last modified November 17, 2006, 05:14:00]