Enrollment Drop Hits Ml Schools Budget In/Around Medical Lake

An unexpected drop in student enrollment will mean less money for Medical Lake School District this year.

Superintendent Neal Powell said it was a surprise when the district learned that Blair Elementary School’s enrollment is 659, down 70 students from last year’s count.

This difference translates to $112,000 less in state apportionment revenue for the district.

Officials in the Medical Lake School District had expected - and budgeted for - an additional 32 full-time students this year at the school, which is located on Fairchild Air Force Base. Instead, even though base housing units are full, fewer students were enrolled at Blair.

“We really don’t know why there’s a difference,” said Tracy Rederick, director of finance and personnel for Medical Lake School District. “In talking to base housing, we learned that they are at full capacity.

“It may just be a natural transition of some families with larger, school-aged families moving off the base.”

It is a difference that will hit the district in the wallet, although the extent isn’t yet known.

In addition to having expected the state dollars, the district is still waiting to hear how its federal aid will be affected.

If federal funding per student is more this year than last, said Rederick, that could be a big help in defraying the loss of state money.

Rederick said the district managed to cut $135,000 from other areas of this year’s budget, which will partially offset the discrepancy.

In response to the low enrollment, one Blair teacher has been transferred to Hallett Elementary. School board members at last week’s meeting also learned that the district will be watching the budget carefully this year.

“We’re putting non-essential equipment on hold - or at least keeping it to a minimum,” Rederick said. “If a vacuum cleaner breaks, it may not get fixed right away.”

Another district enrollment count was to take place Wednesday.

, DataTimes