Posted on 11/05/2003 9:02:29 AM PST by chance33_98
Trend Shows Sharp Decline in Berkeley School District Enrollment
The Berkeley Unified School District has suffered a major decline in student enrollment, having lost about 1,100 students within the past three years. Berkeley High School was the hardest hit. The dramatic change has forced the district to reassign high school teachers to other schools in the district, resulting in cramped classrooms and fewer course offerings. Just this fall, Berkeley High admitted 200 fewer students than last year.
“There are less classes available and not as many classes offered at different times,” said Mathison Ott, a Berkeley High School junior. He said fewer classes, especially electives, are being offered.
Class sizes have definitely increased: Ott has 40 other students in his classes this year, as opposed to 20 or 25 two years ago. The change has forced the district to abandon smaller class sizes of 20 or fewer students for the ninth grade.
School officials attribute the decline to a number of factors, including new rules that make it harder for non-Berkeley residents to attend city schools.
Berkeley High School used to welcome students from other districts, but recently decided to restrict new enrollment.
Paying to educate nonresident students is a losing measure financially, said Mark Coplan, district spokesperson. Nonresident students generally have a higher absentee rate, which leads to lower state funding for the district. The students also drain revenues from the district’s fixed sources of income, such as local parcel taxes.
Prior to the restriction, nonresident students made up a sizable 6 percent of the student population.
Another factor in the decline in student enrollment is the city of Berkeley itself, school officials said. With no space for new developments, there aren’t many attractive and affordable houses for younger families with school-aged children to move into.
“There tend to be fewer students in a built-out city and very little room for expansion,” said Sheila Jordan, superintendent for Alameda County Schools.
Jordan attributed the district’s decline in students to Berkeley’s rising cost of living. Younger, working-class families have been moving out into the Central Valley to cities such as Tracy and Modesto, which enjoy a substantially lower cost of living. Schools in those areas are expanding, Jordan said.
On a societal trend, families in general are also choosing to have fewer children, Coplan added.
The district has been monitoring the steady decline in enrollment for three years, but it has not taken steps to address the issue until now. Classes have been underfilled for the past three years, which is an inefficient allocation of resources, Coplan said.
With consolidation of classes, Berkeley’s classrooms are now filled to the brim.
“Our schools are full. Our classrooms are full,” Coplan said.
But Coplan dismissed the idea of shutting down more schools and consolidating them, saying that is not an option.
Last year, Franklin Elementary School was closed down because of a multimillion dollar budget deficit.
“The board has to look ahead at maintaining a budget that’s balanced. We still look ahead to a few million dollars in deficit,” Coplan said. “We are working hard.”
Isn't this a deviation from the party line??? Didn't Prop 209 address this very concept?
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