News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
School enrollment in Sisters has dropped off a bit, but not nearly as much as expected. And school officials are encouraged to see that families with children are still coming in to the school district, despite tough economic times.
The school district currently records 1,268 ADM (average daily membership, a weighted calculation of enrollment). That's down from 1,272 at the end of last year. The district had projected an enrollment drop to 1,195.
Sisters Elementary School has 317 ADM, down from 326 at the end of last year. The district had projected 300. Sisters Middle School is up to 415 from 412 and the high school enrolls 536, up two from the end of last year.
Superintendent Elaine Drakulich noted that numbers are expected to fall this week as the district drops students still held on the rolls that don't show up in the second full week of school.
"Overall, I think we'll be 20 down (from) last year, which is wonderful, because if you just went with straight roll-over numbers (from the end of last year) we'd be down about 90," Drakulich said.
Enrollment numbers are significant because state funding is provided on a per ADM basis. Fewer students means less state funding. That, combined with cuts in the per-student amount of funding, put the school district in belt-tightening mode last spring.
The district is not yet in a position to loosen that belt, according to Drakulich.
"(Does) that mean we're going to add teachers this year? Probably not," she said.
Drakulich believes there is "a fairly good chance" that the state will further reduce per-student funding in December, and the district has to be prepared for that.
Drakulich notes that transfers from other districts are down from 90 to about 65, though that might settle out differently over the next couple of weeks.
According to Drakulich, the main reason the district has not lost as heavily as expected is a small influx of families to Sisters.
"The significant difference is new families enrolling," she said.
Drakulich tied the enrollment to business activity in Sisters. She said the district conducted tours for several families set up by SBART (Sisters Business Attraction and Retention Team).
"We know that we have at least two or three of those families in Sisters," she said. "Bi-Mart is part of that, and there are some others."
Drakulich cautions that while the numbers are a pleasant surprise, they don't reflect a positive trend.
"For the third year, we have declined in students," she said.
However, she said she is hopeful that the slower drop-off this year is a sign that enrollment is stabilizing.
Drakulich said that morale is good in the schools, and that despite staff and budget cuts, there is enthusiasm for a renewed focus on student achievement at all levels.
"Even in hard times financially, this district comes through," she said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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