PORT ANGELES — Enrollment is down 135 students in the Port Angeles School District for the 2009-10 school year.
Using a baseline figure that doesn’t count skills center or Running Start students, the district’s enrollment fell from 3,810 students in 2008-09 to 3,675 this year.
Enrollment is important for school districts because it determines the amount of funding a district gets.
Jim Schwob, Port Angeles School District executive director of business and operations, discussed the enrollment situation at the Port Angeles School Board meeting Monday.
“We were explaining to everyone that these are the reasons why we have to do the reductions,” he said.
Schwob said the district faces two main challenges: declining enrollment and unfunded mandates for special education and transportation.
“We’re doing the best we can with what we have available,” Schwob said.
The Port Angeles School District cut $2,563,873 from this year’s budget because of declining enrollment and the state and federal economic crisis.
That compares with a $1,369,500 budget cut in 2008-09 for the same reasons.
The district must find a way to pay for $647,000 in special education and about $733,000 in transportation costs.
“We basically have more than a million-three in stuff we have to do that’s not even funded,” Schwob said.
“That’s a major impact.”
The budget will be the focus of a public hearing in the next school district meeting Aug. 24.
“We’re doing the best we can to provide education so folks can do well when they leave school,” Schwob said.
“It’s a challenge. It’s a challenge for all of us on a personal level.”
Enrollment peaked in the Port Angeles School District in 1967, when it had 5,138 students.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at Rob Ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
