Enrollment up in CVSD, down in EVSD

As more students surge through some Spokane Valley schools, others continue to deal with steady decreases in full-time equivalent student enrollment.

Numbers released at the beginning of October show more students are attending Central Valley, while East Valley has fewer students. West Valley and Freeman School districts maintained similar enrollments compared to last year.

Most schools in Central Valley experienced gains in the number of full-time equivalent students, resulting in a 3 percent enrollment increase or about 390 more students. Total full-time equivalent enrollment stands at 11,480 in the district. That’s an increase from 10,518 in 2000.

The full-time equivalent count is different from the actual head count. Kindergartners attend school only part of the day, so they are counted as half-time students.

Jan Hutton, executive director of finance for Central Valley, said in previous years the district experienced a 1 percent increase annually, until 2004, when there was a 3 percent growth.

“There’s a lot of development in our school district, especially in our eastern end of our school district,” Hutton said. Greenacres and Liberty Lake elementary schools are both full, she said. Liberty Lake had 20 more students, and Greenacres had 39 compared to October 2004.

This year, the district introduced portables at Greenacres and Liberty Lake elementary schools and University High School to deal with the influx of students. New classrooms are also being built at Broadway Elementary School. University High School’s full-time equivalency enrollment was 23 fewer than last October with 1,772 students. Broadway did gain 23 full-time equivalent students, with enrollment at 358.

A $55.2 million bond to finance new school buildings and remodel old ones will also be put before voters in March 2006 to provide a longtime solution to overcrowding.

“Both of our high schools are nearing capacity,” Hutton said, adding that some middle schools are also almost full.

The full-time equivalency numbers determine how much state funding school districts receive.

The East Valley School District continues a six-year downward spiral in enrollment. The 4,112 full-time equivalent enrollment is about 71 students less than last year. In the 1999 school year, enrollment stood at 4,700.

Some schools in the district had significant drops in numbers over last October. Otis Orchards Elementary has 60 fewer full-time equivalent students, while Trent Elementary has 83 students fewer. At East Valley High School, numbers dropped from 1,410 to 1,319.

To deal with the changes, the district is moving teachers to schools where there are more students, said Jan Beauchamp, assistant superintendent of academics. A teacher was moved from Trent to East Farms Elementary and another from Otis Orchard to Trentwood Elementary.

“This is the first time that we’ve moved teachers,” Beauchamp said.

Due to a higher number of kindergarten students, new classes were created at East Farms Elementary. Head counts for kindergarten students were 69 at East Farms, up from 46 last October.

“We’ve adjusted over time in a way that has allowed us not to make any dramatic changes,” Beauchamp said. “We watch our enrollment very carefully.”

Beauchamp partly attributes the decrease to the work-force reduction at Kaiser Aluminum in Trentwood, which has been a big employer in the area.

“Many people have moved out over time to search for jobs,” she said. She added that new development near Pines and Trent may bring in more families, which may impact future enrollment.

Nonetheless, the district had originally budgeted for 4,069 students, and current numbers are above projections, so funding will not be affected adversely.

“That’s good news. That means we planned well,” Beauchamp said.

In the West Valley School District, full-time equivalency enrollment is at 3,533, down from 3,537 last October. Assistant Superintendent Doug Matson said the district had budgeted for 3,563 students, but the alternative programs are expected to pick up students throughout the year so the district is “right at budget.” Major increases occurred in Seth Woodard Elementary School, with 31 more students and Centennial Middle School, with 43 more full-time equivalencies.

The district introduced a new alternative high school program, Rivercity Leadership Academy, which has 22 students.

Freeman School District maintained the same enrollment as last year with 850 full-time equivalencies.

“We’re right around the same ballpark,” said Jan Davis, director of fiscal/administrative services. “We’re above budget, which is always a good thing.”

The district had projected enrollment at 840 students, Davis said.