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by Mark McDermott
The Manhattan Seashore Unified Faculty registered a slight enhance in enrollment this college yr, reversing a decade of decline exacerbated by an exodus of scholars throughout the first two years of the pandemic.
A report offered by Assistant Superintendent Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard eventually Wednesday’s MBUSD Board of Schooling assembly confirmed that 5,897 college students enrolled this yr, in comparison with 5,852 final yr, a rise of 45 college students.
Murakawa-Leopard mentioned the rise was above district projections from final spring, and is especially important as a result of the Common Each day Attendance numbers are tied to state funding.
“Our funding is predicated on averages, so one yr impacts a number of years,” she mentioned. “So the headline is that we met our goal, which I believe is nice information for us…I’m happy to say we’re seeing a small enhance this yr, extra enrollment than final yr, and really importantly a small bit greater than we assumed in our price range.”
Murakawa-Leopard additionally mentioned she checked surrounding college districts’ preliminary enrollment numbers, and most noticed enhancements within the type of a much less steep decline.
“However there are only some districts which are displaying a rise between final yr and this yr,” she mentioned.
Board member Jennifer Fenton emphasised the importance of this small enhance.
“I really like that MBUSD can proudly say whereas different districts are sustaining [enrollment] or nonetheless within the decline, we’re seeing a rise,” Fenton mentioned. “That’s an enormous win, and price noting.”
The district noticed its largest enhance in its transitional kindergarten program, which went from 42 college students final yr to 120 this yr, contributing to an total enhance in elementary college enrollment from 2,132 final yr to 2,180 this yr. Solely center college noticed a drop, from 1,254 to 1,201, whereas highschool enrollment elevated from 2,466 to 2,516.
Superintendent John Bowles mentioned that the district benefited from a full yr again in school rooms following the pandemic, and from extra proactive communication concerning enrollment, together with banners hung all through the town.
“We’ve got exit survey knowledge for the primary time, and we noticed good response charges with regard to households’ perceptions’ about district targets, which have been all excessive,” he mentioned. “However the highest response charge was for communication, and we’ve taken a extra aggressive stance with enrollment. That’s been aided by a few issues. One is the waning of the pandemic. However I believe we additionally must attribute a part of that to the position of the general public info officer, who has actually pushed our partnership with the Metropolis.” ER
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