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Education
Fewer Kids in Schools
 [Photo: White Packett/ Getty] |
In February 2003, the Broward County Planning Services Division issued a report predicting that “significant growth of the school-aged population will continue through 2010.” The report cited “recent demographic trends,” including the county’s birthrate and projected growth in the number of young families moving into the area.
Oops. Along with other big counties like Palm Beach, Pinellas, Duval and Hillsborough, Broward has seen its school enrollment decline by 5% in the past three years. After peaking at about 273,000 in 2004, the number of children attending county schools has fallen to around 259,000. Meanwhile, Palm Beach County also is in its second straight year of declining enrollment, with the student count falling from 174,000 in 2005 to about 168,000.
Statewide, 29 of 67 counties report enrollment declines. And while some high-growth areas like the five-county metro Orlando region report increases, many of the gains are so small as to be negligible.
Accounting for the declines is tricky. Most blame some combination of the threat of hurricanes and increased insurance and housing costs. “Every year, at least one my kids’ friends leave because their families can’t afford to live here,” Broward School Board member Robin Bartleman says.
Meanwhile, the school population in nearby counties, similarly threatened
and with similar insurance costs — have held steady, with St. Lucie growing by roughly 4%. Part of the explanation is an old story — the ongoing migration north. “A significant number of students moved to St. Lucie from Broward, Palm and Miami-Dade,” says Kathy McGinn, St. Lucie assistant superintendent.
| School Enrollment (in thousands) | ||
| District | 2006-07 | 2007-08 (est.) |
| Broward | 267.2 | 258.9 |
| Indian River | 17.5 | 17.6 |
| Martin | 17.8 | 17.7 |
| Okeechobee | 7.2 | 7.0 |
| Palm Beach | 172.6 | 168.0 |
| St. Lucie | 38.7 | 40.3 |
Worries about a possible teacher shortage and overcrowded schools have given way to complaints about decreased funding from the state, which pays each district a per-student allotment.
Yet closing schools — or even classrooms — isn’t an option. Florida’s class size amendment kicks in fully next year, which means every classroom in the state has to have the right number of kids.
“It would be difficult, if not impossible, to close a school,” says James Notter, Broward schools superintendent. And it wouldn’t be good planning, either: “Our projections show a leveling in 2010-11.”
