From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin:
"Two months into the new school year, some communities are beginning to report enrollment declines, presumably an offshoot of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Worcester school district lost 1,046 students, about 4.2 percent of last year’s total of 25,049, according to the Telegram & Gazette. It was the second year in a row that enrollment declined, and a large chunk of the decrease was at the prekindergarten and kindergarten levels.
Brian Allen, Worcester’s chief financial and operations officer, said more families have elected to keep younger students out of school during the coronavirus pandemic.
The drop could significantly impact the amount of state aid Worcester’s schools can expect, with a $10 million decrease in chapter 70 school aid possible next fiscal year under the state’s foundation formula."
Continue reading article online
Editor's Note: While the headline "Enrollment declines crop up in public schools" is true, the reasons behind it are not fully explained in this article which seems to focus on the COVID-19/pandemic factors and not on the overall demographics. Taking Franklin as an example, there is a "small" change due to families turning to pods or moving students to private schools, but the major decline has been seen over the years and will continue to be seen through 2027.
The October 27, 2020 School Committee meeting reviewed the October 1 enrollment numbers which can be found here https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/october_enrollment_report.pdf
The audio portion of the meeting where the enrollment report is reviewed can be found here
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