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Enrollment steady despite new schools
By: SUZANNE ROOK, Managing Editor
Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:39 pm
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The number of students enrolling in Northfield schools from outside the district and those in Northfield going to other schools has remained fairly constant for the last decade.

In 2000-01, the district enrolled 3,916. Ten years later, it serves eight fewer students.

Almost 775 students living in the district aren’t attending classes at Northfield Public Schools; 256 of them attend local charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded and receive state aid.

That figure has risen and fallen along with the number of local charters. When the Village School closed, the district’s enrollment saw a small increase. When others opened or expanded, district enrollment dipped slightly.




The number of students attending private schools has also been fairly constant. The high of 288 came in 2000-01; the low was in 2004-05 with 194. The majority of the 231 attending private schools this year go to St. Dominic School, where 157 Northfield area students enrolled.

Nearly 160 students attend traditional public schools outside the district. Districts enrolling the highest number of Northfield area students are Randolph (23), Farmington (20) and New Prague (14).

Minnesota law allows students to apply for enrollment at other public schools through a process called open enrollment. But while parents can select where they want their child to go to school, it’s the district which has the final say, said school Superintendent Chris Richardson.

Requests don’t require explanations, said Richardson, adding that he often hears parents asking for larger or smaller class sizes, proximity to family or a parent’s workplace and a school’s academic program.

The pendulum swings both ways in that department, said Richardson, noting that parents often cite the same reasons for wanting to enroll their child in Northfield schools and appreciate the large number of advanced placement classes offered at Northfield High School and the district’s Spanish immersion program.

This year, 276 students living outside the district attend Northfield schools. More than half of them — 146 — live in the Faribault School District.

When students leave one public school for another, state aid follows the student, said Richardson.

Transportation, however, doesn’t. Kids in school outside the district must rely on their families to get them to school.

The district is working on a marketing study to help it learn why students prefer Northfield schools and vice versa.

Richardson said the information is expected help the district better meet the needs of its students and their families.

BY THE NUMBERS

3,916: The number of students now enrolled in Northfield Public Schools

276: The number of students transferring in to the district

256: The number of Northfield students attending five local charter schools

128: The number of area students being homeschooled (61 families total)

—Northfield Public Schools

— Suzanne Rook is the managing editor and covers education. She can be reached at srook@northfieldnews.com or 645-1113.
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Member Opinions:
By: parentvoice on 11/29/09
Do the math. About 500 more kids LEAVE the district than come into it. Each student carries about 5k of state funding with them. We're losing a LOT of potential funding. Someone on the school board needs to ask, what do the public schools need to do to retain more of the kids who live there....

 
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