Batavia public school enrollment continues declining

Enrollment in the Batavia public schools will likely continue to decline for several more years, according to a report presented to the school board Tuesday.

District officials expect that next fall it will enroll its smallest kindergarten class in recent years, 349 students. Kindergarten enrollment has declined each year since at least the 2009-10 school year, when enrollment was 478.

Figuring out enrollment is the first step in preparing the 2015-16 budget. Administrators use the figures to help determine how many employees are needed.

Kris Monn, the district's assistant superintendent for finance, said the kindergarten decline is happening at all the elementary schools. Because it is spread out, the district might not reduce staff much, he said. But if the decline continues, staffing could drop in subsequent years, he said.

Monn said the district can only speculate as to the cause, beyond the drop in the birthrate seen since the 2008 recession. It may also be that families with school-age children are staying in smaller housing instead of moving in to bigger homes, and therefore younger families aren't moving into the district, he said.

The district predicts high school enrollment will decline from 1,995 students this year to 1,950 next fall.

Overall, the district projects total enrollment to drop to 5,799 students in grades kindergarten through 12th in the 2017-18 school year, from 6,025 this year. That does not include preschool students, or students who are staying in the schools longer than 12 years. Students can receive special education services through age 21.