Enrollment decline means fewer teachers at Woodland 50 next year

Because of steadily declining enrollment, Woodland Elementary District 50 will cut 16 positions - 14 teachers and two support staffers - as part of a proposed budget offered by administrators for approval in September.

Associate Superintendent Bob Leonard said there will be about 150 fewer students in the Gurnee-based district this coming school year compared to last year.

Even with fewer teachers, the district expects to maintain class sizes at or below its guidelines, Leonard said. Those are 25 or fewer students per teacher from kindergarten through third grade and 27 or fewer students for fourth grade through eighth grade.

Woodland's enrollment was listed as 5,882 students in the most recent Illinois State Board of Education report card. That's down from 6,549 students five years ago, state education data shows. In 2007, Woodland reported an enrollment of about 7,100 students.

Leonard said the downward enrollment trend is expected to continue for years.

In November, McKibben Demographic Research was hired to study the trend. The study concluded that over the next five years the district will lose about 450 students. Enrollment will then remain steady from the 2023-24 school year through the 2026-27 school year, according to the study.

Woodland has a primary building for early childhood and kindergarten, and an elementary school for grades one through three near Gages Lake. The intermediate building for grades four and five, and the middle school for grades six through eight are in Gurnee.

Leonard said the grade level setup makes the district better suited to deal with the enrollment declines.

"When we have to reduce staff or the number of classrooms it means we don't have to mothball entire buildings," he said. "We're still able to do it one classroom or wing at a time."

Leonard said the number of teachers ultimately employed next year likely won't be known until the school year draws nearer. The district staff will track the enrollment numbers as they come in through the summer and make adjustments accordingly.

The school board is expected to vote on next year's budget on Sept. 28.