An Article About Declining Enrollment

Here is an article that deals with a school district that shares not only a boundary with LAUSD, but also includes many students would would have attended LAUSD schools had the Palos Verdes Unified School District not opened their schools up to students who live in the "Eastview" area of Rancho Palos Verdes.
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District enrollment could drop

By Chris Boyd, Peninsula NewsFriday, April 25, 2008 5:44 PM PDT

A consultant for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District told School Board members Thursday that enrollment might drop significantly in the next five years, resulting in a loss of revenue.

“Right now it looks like we could be down as much as 300 or 400 students,” said Superintendent Walker Williams.District officials want to offset the decline partially by offering extended-day, 20-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio kindergarten classes at all campuses next year in the hope that the program will woo some parents away from private schools.

“Now that we’re moving closer to a private school schedule, we hope to pick up more students,” Williams said. “We’ve heard from enough parents that it’s all about the [extended] schedule.”

While that may help to pick up 50 to 100 students, the district still faces a deficit of about 300 as enrollment across California declines. “That’s something we’re going to have to watch as we go forward the next few years,” Williams said. “We’ve gone through this before as a School District.”

While Williams doesn’t anticipate the need to close any schools, the loss of average-daily-attendance funds from the state — each student currently brings in about $5,800 — could mean teacher layoffs.

“It does drop your bottom line in terms of enrollment. When you do that kind of math, it adds up to big numbers,” he said. “You just have to watch it, plan for it and come up with solutions if it happens. You have to make the necessary cuts to go along with the drop in enrollment.”

Save Our Teachers update

There was good news for teachers Thursday, when the Peninsula Education Foundation announced it has raised nearly $750,000 as part of its district-wide Save Our Teachers Now campaign. PEF officials, in partnership with local PTAs and booster clubs, are trying to raise $1.2 million by May 15 to save 24 teachers’ jobs and keep class sizes smaller in third and ninth grade.

“The PTAs are working hard. We have students trying to raise the money … Everybody is really digging in and trying to help,” Williams said. “The way things are going, it just amazes me what this community is willing to do. I think [$1.2 million] is attainable.”

“It’s been outstanding. We’re almost two-thirds of the way to our goal,” said PEF President David Wagman. “Getting the last third is going to take a real push. We’re all kind of working double time right now.”

cboyd@pvnews.com
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Declining enrollment means loss or revenue. That is a pretty simple fact I think we can all grasp.

There are many individuals who know that enrollment in LAUSD schools is also declining, which then means that the District will lose revenue.

But still there are advocates who state that there is bond money to build entire new school campuses. Well, what might happen to those new campuses after they are built and revenue continues to drop, due to declining enrollment?

Could we see a future where our bond money builds campuses which then close and allow for the campuses to be taken over by Charter Schools, which will take students from LAUSD schools, creating more losses of revenue for LAUSD?

Are we going to see a vicious cycle that no one ever intended?

Taxpayers pay for a school site. Declining enrollment forces the District to close sites. The sites are taken over by Charter Schools. Those Charter Schools siphon off more students from LAUSD schools, causing a further loss of revenue, causing even more schools to close.

But still they build.

We are currently in Phase III of the building plans for LAUSD. In Phase III, 10 brand new school campuses will receive competition sized swimming pools.

South Region High School No. 15 is NOT slated to have a new pool built. I believe the closest swimming pool to both the SRHS 15 site and San Pedro High School is at Banning High School in Wilmington.

I guess because we have that blue patch of water so close to schools in San Pedro, some believe that a competition sized pool here is not needed.

How many of you remember spending summer days at Gaffey Street Pool? Wouldn't you think LAUSD would owe San Pedrans a new pool for all the trouble placing a new campus on a site where it clearly doesn't belong, creates?

What about all those 'snivelers' who state that the site for SRHS 15 is only 8/10 of a mile from San Pedro High School, M Richards writes with a wink? The new Mary Star of the Sea High School is much closer to Cooper High School than 8/10 of a mile.

Of course, students and parents going to or coming from the Mary Star campus have to use Western Avenue, a four-lane state highway, and not Taper Avenue, where Cooper is located.

Oh well, I digress about the ingress and egress for SRHS 15. But you must know or learn, if your vehicle is narrow enough, more than 80% of Alma, below the gate for Angel's Gate, can be taken by driving in a straight line. Naturally you have to cross over the center line, but haven't most of you been 16-years old already?