The Problem with Enrollment

Two weeks ago, the Elmbrook School Board voted to close despite the fact that they had not yet decided on a definitive redistricting plan. Since that time, the board has been debating several scenarios, with the central consideration being whether to even-out enrollment district wide or redistrict to accommodate the potential future closing of Tonawanda. Last night, board members appeared to move in favor of the latter option, supporting a plan that would further decrease Dixon's enrollment. Unfortunately, the board continues to postpone any action to increase enrollment so that another school closing might be prevented.

The issue of resident enrollment has actually troubled Elmbrook for decades. District enrollment had been substantially greater in the 1960s and 1970s, reaching a high of over 11,000 in 1971 before plummeting throughout that decade to near current levels. In fact, while resident enrollment has fallen 10 percent over the past ten years to 6,300, enrollment has actually lingered in this range of 6,000-7,000 students for the past 30 years.    

Much of this drop in enrollment can be explained by changes in community demographics: in 1970, residents under 18 accounted for 42.1 percent of Brookfield’s population; by 2000, that number had fallen to just 26.8 percent. As the number of children decreased, the number of residents over 65 increased, from 4.4 percent in 1970 to nearly 20 percent in 2000. What is interesting to note is that the decrease in the percentage of residents under 18 over the past 40 years (-15.3 percent) is nearly equal to the increase in residents over 65 (+15.6 percent). What this means, of course, is that the health of our public school system is currently predicated on the benevolence of an aging population for whom the system grants no direct benefit other than higher-than-average property values. 

Unfortunately, the administration and School Board have managed to alienate both these taxpayers and those with children in the public schools with their reactionary responses to fluctuations in enrollment. Historically, the district’s response to declines in enrollment and funding has been to close schools (nine elementary schools were shuttered between 1973 and 1984; seven of them permanently), slash programs and staffing, and defer maintenance on remaining school properties. Any attempts to increase resident enrollment, such as adding 4K, were abandoned before they had any chance to have an impact. On the other hand, the board and administration have utilized periods of increasing enrollment to attempt to push through renovation and rebuilding plans that, because of the deferring of maintenance during the previous years, have ballooned in both scope and cost. In fact, the administration’s own account of its recent financial history reveals a district that is continually reacting to the times at hand without any consistent, measured long-term plan for development and improvement.

If this district is truly serious about increasing resident enrollment, then a reexamination of our priorities is in order. The administration and School Board must develop a workable, financially reasonable plan to grow and nurture enrollment while increasing the depth and breadth of education provided to students at all levels — not just winnow the schools down to the bare minimum. The mayor must step up and initiate the revitalization of our populace by taking action to make the city more accomodating and attractive to young families — not just hope that increased commercial development will bring new residents with it. Community members must take ownership and become more involved in the daily life of the schools — not just pay attention when an issue affects them personally. All parties must consider what will make us a better district and community in the future as opposed to what has made us good in the past. If we continue to simply react to the times while trying to maintain the baseline status quo, the “Elmbrook Experience” will soon be a mediocre one at best.