The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SCHOOLS ADJUSTING TO ENROLLMENT ROLLER COASTER
Elyria reports an increase of students over last year, while Amherst reports a decrease
“We’re most likely going to continue to drop by 80 to 100 students, then most likely to go the other way.” — Amherst Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Steve Sayers
On the same night Amherst Exempted Village School District leaders boasted a state award for accomplishments on state tests, they also claimed to have lost 70 students in a year as part of a trend.
Meanwhile leaders at Elyria City Schools said they gained about 200 youngsters over last year.
“We think it’s a lot of things,” said Elyria Schools Associate Superintendent Ann Schloss. “There are a few things we really feel have made a difference.
“Obviously we’ve done a lot around transportation,” Schloss said. “Last year we moved the bus radius from two miles down to 1.25 miles. But this year we added preschool busing and we are at capacity now with preschool. We are at 300 preschoolers. I believe busing helps parents and families who have no transportation or only one car, or if there are other small children in the family. We’ve taken those barriers away for them. Also we have a five-star preschool program, which is the top rating from the state.”
The district is pleased with student and community responses to an ImaginEering Hub at Elyria High School and maker spaces in the middle schools, she said.
Nordson, the Stocker Foundation, the Community Foundation, Parker Hannifin, Bendix and
Ridge Tool helped with grants or provided speakers to engage the students, Schloss said.
“It’s a new way of learning, using 21st Century skill sets,” Schloss said.
Students also are responding to new courses for College Credit Plus and robotics, she said.
“We have professors coming from Lorain County Community College to our campus,” Schloss said.
With Lorain City Schools pulling out of Early College High School, Elyria Schools added up to 50 students who open-enrolled to continue the program, Schloss said.
“Just the state-of-the-art high school and performing arts center are attractive to a lot of people,” she said. “And the excitement around the new buildings is attracting families.”
Amherst Exempted Village Schools will be honored this monthfor earning an “A” grade in progress, also known as value added, on the school district report card through Ohio Department of Education. As of Sept. 14 the district logged 91 fewer students than a year ago, said Superintendent Steve Sayers.
Enrollment declined in each of the last nine years, Sayers said, and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission predicts declines until 2022.
The reason is a lack of students in the lower grades to replace the seniors who graduate, he said.
Classes in grades eight through 12 sport from 320 to 330 students, Sayers said, while kindergarten through grade seven log about 250
students each.
“We’re most likely going to continue to drop by 80 to 100 students, then most likely to go the other way,” Sayers said.
Michael Molnar, assistant superintendent of Amherst Schools, said the district is being honored by the state for earning four “A” grades in value added on the district report card.
Providing students with one year’s growth earns a district a “C” grade, Molnar said. The distinction for the district is earning the “A” in value added in all four categories: overall, gifted, lowest 20 percent in achievement, and students with disabilities, he said.
Nord Middle School and
Amherst Junior High were honored schools as well, he said.
The district has been teaching students based on data from internal tests, Molnar said.
In the lower grades a year ago there were 40 and 60 students in the lower two categories of achievement. Now there are nine students in each group, Molnar said.
“This is the group that started all-day kindergarten two years ago,” he said. “Two years later we have significantly dropped students at risk already.”
The district also provides free PSAT for all juniors this year, enabling all students to have the same opportunities to perform well on college
entrance exams regardless of family income, Molnar said.
Schloss appreciates investments from the community, companies, families, students and alumni.
For example, engineers from Ridge Tool visit schools to talk about engineering and robotics, she said, and Elyria Rotary members read to younger students.
“I think people are starting to take notice and they want their children to be
a part of it,” Schloss said. “What it boils down to is people get involved and work together. I don’t think it was a surprise. We knew the great things we were putting in place would make a difference. In the trends we were expecting a decrease in enrollment. But we’re seeing a good-sized increase of a couple hundred students. They’re coming back from community schools and online schools, and families are moving to Elyria.”