Declining Enrollment

Aligning with a trend for school districts across the nation, the Boulder Valley School District has been in declining enrollment since 2018 and anticipates a gradual decline in enrollment in future years. This drop follows a declining overall birth rate and a growing tendency for families to delay having children. In BVSD, the high cost of housing coupled with limited housing stock inhibits the ability of families with young children to live in our district. COVID-related enrollment loss accelerated the anticipated decline dramatically. 

Because school districts are funded on a per pupil basis, declining numbers of students can lead to budget reductions, as well as inefficient facility operations and most importantly, a less comprehensive educational experience for students at schools with smaller enrollments.

The enrollment decline is being seen more at the  elementary level. In addition, because elementary schools are smaller than secondary schools, the impacts are felt more acutely. 

Fewer students in a school means reduced staffing and therefore a reduction in opportunities and resources. BVSD staff explain what this can look like in this update to the Board in March 2023: 

Impacts of declining enrollment on elementary students' educational experience

In the spring of 2022, the Board created the Long Range Advisory Committee (LRAC) to study the district’s enrollment outlook and develop recommendations to ensure sound long-term facility decisions consistent with the needs of the school district and in support of the district’s strategic initiatives. Over the course of the 2022-23 school year, the committee of parents, community members, and staff met numerous times and developed recommendations which it presented to the Board in June 2023. These recommendations are part of BVSD’s proactive efforts to improve enrollment trends to avoid future cuts to schools/programs across the district.

Those recommendations included an annual report from staff regarding school utilization which also includes the number of classes per grade level and five-year enrollment projections by school. The group also recommended actions for the Board to take if enrollment at specific schools drops below identified thresholds. In addition, the LRAC recommended the Board conduct community surveys and study policies related to enrollment, specifically, the School Attendance Area policy (JC), the Open Enrollment Policy (JECC & JECC-R), and the Focus School Policy (IFF). 

Since last fall, the Board has held a number of work sessions to study the issue. Specific meetings are linked to the right. This will continue to be a topic of discussion for the Board. 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL METRICS

The metrics were developed by the Long Range Advisory Committee and will be used to guide decision making related to declining enrollment. 

Enrollment Advisory Phase

If an elementary school has fewer than two classes per grade level and enrollment is less than 60% of capacity, the Board and community should be aware:   

• Resource allocation will adhere to the established staffing funding formula to the greatest extent possible.
• Multi-age classrooms may be necessary to meet the funding formula.
• Library, counseling, and specials may be limited.

Community Engagement Phase

If an elementary school’s enrollment continues to decline below 50% capacity and fewer than 1.5 average classes per grade level with a projected trend to continue for at least 5 years, the Board will engage staff to lead a community-based process to develop possible solutions to provide a thriving, well-resourced educational environment for students and staff. Decision-making should be in the context of looking at geographic areas or multiple schools if appropriate. Timeline will be established by the Board.

This process may result in recommendations that could include but are not limited to:

• Continuing to operate at the established staffing funding formula 
• Focus or specialized programming
• Reallocate grade levels with neighboring school
• Closure/Consolidation