(Undated)– Enrollment in Iowa’s public schools has declined for the 14th consecutive year, dropping slightly from last year.
The Iowa Department of Education released enrollment numbers for the current school year, showing about 473,200 students are enrolled in the state’s public schools, down about 200 from the 2010-11 school year.
Of the state’s 351 school districts, 218, or 62 percent, saw enrollment decrease this year, with 129 seeing an increase.
Locally, Harris-Lake Park and Spirit Lake were the only districts reporting increased enrollment from last year. Harris-Lake Park experienced the largest growth, at four percent, while Spirit Lake saw a two percent increase. All other districts in the area reported losses. Armstrong-Ringsted and Graettinger-Terril each saw a one percent decline. That was followed by Sibley-Ocheyedan with a three percent drop. Local districts experiencing the most dramatic declines of four percent each, included Emmetsburg and Ruthven-Ayrshire.
Three districts, including Estherville-Lincoln Central, Okoboji and Spencer, reported very little or no change from last year.
The certified enrollment figures were taken by school districts the first week of October. The numbers are used in a formula by state officials to determine state funding for public schools.
(Sources for this story include the Associated Press and the Iowa Department of Education).
