Enrollment up in Decatur

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

— Enrollment numbers at the Decatur School District have returned to the levels they were at before the school fell into fiscal distress in 2008.

As of Sept. 7, the district had 526 students in grades kindergarten through 12, plus an additional 40 students in the pre-kindergarten program, superintendent Larry Ben said.

In comparison, the district had 487 students this time last year and ended the 2011-2012 school year with 495 students.

It’s hard to point to any one reason that enrollment is up, according to Ben. The threat of consolidation in 2006, followed by the uncertainty of fiscal distress in 2008, had a definite impact on enrollment.

Industry has grown in the town and apartments and houses that were vacant are starting to fill up again, Ben observed.

Growth has positive implications for the school’s finances as well as for the community. The school district is guaranteed $6,267 per student by the state, so the school’s financial situation improves as enrollment numbers go up.

If property tax millage fails to bring in the guaranteed amount, the state makes up the difference, Ben said.

Increasing enrollment will also make the district more efficient in per-pupil spending because certain expenses like salaries and utilities are fixed.

While the elementary school is currently filled to capacity, Decatur’s spending per-pupil is inflated because of the high school’s small class size, Ben said.

In the 2010-2011 school year, the Decatur School District spent $9,682 per pupil in comparison with $8,802 per pupil in Gentry and $8,170 in Gravette.

Salaries are one of Decatur’s biggest expenses. In order to be accredited, the high school is required to offer certain courses, but that doesn’t mean those courses are filled with students, Ben said. One of the benefits is a small class size, but the downside is the cost per pupil goes up, he explained.

The good news is the school’s infrastructure has room for quite a lot of growth, according to Ben. School board members reviewed the district’s facilities plan last month, and Ben mentioned that, if growth continues, a middle school may have to be reopened.

News, Pages 12 on 09/19/2012