Dist. 303 to study enrollment -- again
For the third time since 2004, the St. Charles school board is commissioning a study to find out where District 303 enrollment is headed.
Superintendent Don Schlomann said he expects the outcome to be "better data" than that of the two previous studies, which were conducted by Northern Illinois University and gave contradictory projections about how many new students the district might see in coming years.
On Monday, the school board approved spending $11,700 on what should be the district's most comprehensive study yet. Using fresh data, it will encompass live birth records, attendance boundaries by school, and incoming or potential residential developments, officials said.
"This is much more valuable information" than was studied in the past, school board member Lori Linkimer said. "We'll see where it (enrollment) is, look at it honestly and go from there."
In 2004, NIU projected enrollment swelling to about 14,800 students by 2007; it actually hovered at 13,700. Widening the discrepancy even was a follow-up study earlier this year, in which NIU predicted enrollment dwindling to 13,400 by 2014, rather than increasing to 17,300 as estimated four years ago.
The differing results were attributed in part to changes in the economy and a housing market slowdown, as well as the general, uncertain nature of enrollment predictions. Board President Kathy Hewell said perhaps the district was looking too far ahead and will have more accurate results by focusing only on the next three years, as the upcoming study will do.
Should the next round of results suggest major enrollment shifts in any direction, Schlomann said district officials are "going to have to reassess what we're going to do next" in terms of facilities, transportation and other issues.
The study will be performed by Missouri-based enrollment specialist Charles Kofron, who has done similar work for school districts in Harvard and West Chicago. District 303 officials made no mention Monday of a timeline for completion.