INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is projecting a continued decline in student enrollment for the 2024-25 school year, with an anticipated loss of 1,150 students. This follows a trend of decreasing enrollment since the 2019-20 school year, resulting in a total decrease of 5,217 students, or an 8.1% drop, by the end of the 2024-25 academic year.

WCSD Budget Director Jeff Bozzo and Associate Chief Tiffany McMaster recently presented the enrollment trends and allocation process to the Board of Trustees. Declining enrollment significantly impacts the district’s budget, as 88% of its general fund revenues are based on student numbers.

In 2022-2023, Incline Elementary School had 231 students. In 2023-2024, the number increased by 5 to 235. The current enrollment is 251.

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In 2022-2023, Incline Middle School had 142 students. In 2023-2024, enrollment dropped by 21 students. The current count is 124 students.

In 2022-2023, Incline High School had 322 students. In 2023-2024, the figure dropped by 27 to 295 students. The current enrollment is 297.

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The Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology has designated all three STEM schools.

Bozzo referenced birth rate enrollment trends.

“They’ve significantly declined over the last 30-plus years,” Bozzo said. “And then our countywide enrollment trend over the last four years, overall Washoe County has seen a decrease of 1,700 students or 2.4%. The school district has seen an enrollment decrease of over 4,000 students and continues to project enrollment decreases in the future. District-sponsored charter schools, state-sponsored charter schools, and private schools have seen increased enrollment. So when you hear that a school has lost an allocation, that’s because of decreased enrollment.”

To address the lower enrollment challenges, the WCSD has implemented two changes to its allocation process that determine the number of budgeted teacher and support staff positions at schools.

First, for the 2023-24 school year, the district has introduced a new policy for schools on count day which happens the fourth week of the school year. Typically, schools with lower enrollment on count day would lose staff allocations.

Under the new policy, schools experiencing slightly lower enrollment will retain their existing allocations, even if the enrollment numbers would normally trigger a reduction. This change aims to minimize disruption and ensure stability in these schools.

“Actual enrollment counts are used to determine if the schools will gain or lose allocations on count day,” McMaster said. “So we don’t know fully until count day, but we can definitely look at data trends to help form those decisions. Going towards enrollment changes on count day is what kick-starts our fall overage transfer process for our teachers, and finally, the changes that we’re making to the allocation process. So again on count day, for one and two-star schools that have a slightly lower actual enrollment than what was projected, that would typically cause them to lose an allocation. Instead, we will keep the allocations at that school to minimize disruption after count day.”

Second, the WCSD has implemented a mid-year allocation process to address schools experiencing significant enrollment increases after count day.

“Also after count day we started this year, the current fiscal year, when a school has triggered an additional allocation based on increased enrollment, we’ve added that allocation,” Bozzo said. “And both of those items will be funded from the general fund contingency account.”

Throughout the second and third quarters of the academic year, the district has been taking snapshots of enrollment data. If a school has a substantial increase in students, additional staff allocations will be provided to meet the heightened demand.

“Throughout the summer months, we continually look at Infinite Campus and compare those projections against the allocations that were given to determine if any adjustments are needed,” McMaster said. “Online registration percentages are a big part of the data that is reviewed during that time as well. The number of students above a trigger for an allocation is used to determine if an additional allocation may be released prior to count day. And then the process really kicks into full gear once the school year starts. Once we see how many students show up on day one, and see what is actually happening in our schools.”

The new allocation policies are funded through the district’s general fund contingency account.

As the WCSD navigates the challenges of declining enrollment, these adjustments to the allocation process aim to provide greater support and stability for schools, particularly in underperforming student populations.

“Almost 90% of our general fund revenues and over 80% of our general fund positions are based on enrollment,” Bozzo said. “So, just as another example, if we were to lose 10 students on a district-wide basis, that’s the equivalent of the cost of one teacher position.”

By adapting its resource allocation strategies, the district hopes to ensure a more equitable distribution of staff resources based on fluctuating enrollment patterns.