Elementary populations trail projections

District’s 10,364 students is 571 more than last school year, but below forecast.

As of Sept. 15, the 22nd day of the school year, the Lake Travis school district boasted a population of 10,364 students, or 571 more students than last school year but fewer than had been predicted.

Official say there’s a good chance the district will catch up to its projections for what the student population will be on the last Friday of October, which is one of the dates the state will use as a “snapshot” of the district when considering how much funding schools get.

The projections are forecast by Population and Survey Analysts every two years. Senior administrator Holly Morris-Kuentz presented the enrollment update during the Sept. 19 school board meeting. She said elementary school populations overall grew less than expected, but middle school and high school student population growth exceeded projections.

“Some are over or under, depending on the campus,” Morris-Kuentz said. “The elementary school total growth rate was 3.69 percent (from the previous year). The middle schools were really close to projections.”

Only Bee Cave and West Cypress Hills elementary schools exceeded population growth expectations. Morris-Kuentz said that Bee Cave Elementary is the only elementary school in the district with a classroom exceeding the locally established classroom ratio of 23 students to one teacher. The total number of students in the six elementary schools in the Lake Travis school district is 4,697.

The middle school population increased 5.9 percent from the previous school year, with 1,419 students at Lake Travis Middle School and 1,167 students at Hudson Bend Middle School. The population of Lake Travis High School increased 9.2 percent from the previous year, and is now 3,081 students.

Population and Survey Analysts projected the Lake Travis school district student population to reach 10,388 by the end of October. The state keeps an eye on student population and attendance throughout the school year and rectifies any funding discrepancies once the year ends.

Johnny Hill, assistant superintendent of financial services, said that after subtracting for recaptured funds the district sends back to the state, the district receives about $6,767 per student in state and local funding in its maintenance and operations budget.

“We’re losing state monies this year over last year,” Hill said in an interview. “Right at about $200 in state monies per kid.”