Newsday

DC school enrollment continues to decline

August 24, 2009

by The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Enrollment in D.C. schools is expected to drop again as classes begin Monday, but educators are optimistic the student population could soon begin to rise again.

D.C. Public Schools are expecting about 45,000 students this academic year, which is 2,000 fewer than in the spring. Meanwhile, the city's charter schools project at least 28,000 students, or about 2,400 more than last year.

D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee said she expects the declining numbers in traditional public schools to level off by next year and enrollment to slowly rise soon after.

"We knew last year there was going to be a big drop-off because of school closings and consolidations," Rhee said.

The city closed 23 schools last summer because of under-enrollment; only three schools have been closed ahead of this school year.

In the last three decades, nearly 30,000 students have left the city's public school system for other options. Enrollment has winnowed from more than 100,000 students to less than 73,000 in public and charter schools. At the same time, suburban school districts have increased by up to 40 percent.

Some parents have opted for private schools or publicly funded charter schools, which first opened in Washington in 1996. Charter school enrollment jumped to about 25,600 students last spring. Tom Nida, chairman of the city's Public Charter School Board, said if charter and regular public schools implement changes, he would expect "a total turnaround in the next two to three years."

"The charters' challenge will be more competitive options from DCPS," Nida said. "We'll be pressed to stay on our game."

But experts point to several factors such as school choice and the city's high dropout rate that they say make it difficult to predict enrollment.

"There isn't another system in the country, except maybe New Orleans, where the dynamics are so complicated," said Margery Turner, vice president for research at the Urban Institute.

Still, Rhee said D.C. schools are "absolutely ready" for the new year. Her office has even run bus advertisements and radio spots about the schools — though officials didn't think students would flood in just because of the public relations campaign, Rhee said.

"But it's a signal to residents that a lot of things are happening in the schools," she said.

___

Information from: The Washington Examiner, http://www.dcexaminer.com/