Enrollment in Colorado’s 178 school districts continued upward this year, preliminary state data show.
Still, the numbers of students declined in about half of the state’s districts, reflecting changes across the board, in urban and rural areas and even in a district with online students.
Statewide, the student population increased 1.7 percent from 770,504 in the 2005-06 school year, to 783,977 this year.
The Douglas County School District saw a 5.1 percent spike in enrollment to become the state’s third-largest district, growing from 47,109 students in the 2005-06 school year to 49,525 this year, according to figures released Monday by the Colorado Department of Education.
The regeneration of older neighborhoods and a rise in new homes continue to draw younger families to Douglas County and fuel school growth, said Whei Wong, district spokeswoman.
In Jefferson County, the largest district, aging neighborhoods with fewer children contributed to a decrease of 0.3 percent, district officials said.
In Greeley, Weld County School District officials saw the first decline in students in at least 15 years, said Wayne Eads, chief operations officer.
Though the decrease was slight – just 0.3 percent – Eads said it had prompted discussion among administrators.
The last two years, the district’s enrollment had been flat, he said. He believes job losses from business closings and mobile families affect enrollment.
Enrollment changes are a concern for districts because funding is lost when the student population drops. In Colorado, the bulk of a district’s state funding is based on enrollment.
The Branson School District, which experienced record growth six years ago when it opened an online school, had the second-highest rate of decline this year, after Silverton schools.
Kris Enright, executive director of Branson Online, cited several reasons for the nearly 19 percent drop in students – from 1,130 students last year to 919 this year.
Only about a dozen of the students actually attend classes in a traditional school building in the district.
He said strict new academic rules implemented this year prompted some students to leave the Las Animas County-based online school. The students log in from across the state, he said.
“For many of our students, they simply did not work hard enough,” he said. Many of were directed to schools in their home districts, he said.
In the Douglas County School District, which already operates 66 schools and this month passed a bond issue to build seven more, there doesn’t appear to be any slowing down.
“We’re projected to add 2,800 students every year for the next five years,” Wong said.
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
