Beloit reports another sharp drop in enrollment

Enrollment fell this fall in the two biggest school districts in Rock County, Wisconsin, according to the Beloit Daily News. The School District of Beloit told the state its official count was 4,471 students, a drop of 231, or 4.9%, from the prior year. Janesville reported 8,876 students, down 222, or 2.4%. Milton, the county's third-largest district, also declined, by 47 students. Districts report counts to the state's education department each September, and the state uses them to calculate school funding.

The article says Beloit's enrollment has been falling since 2014, when it was 7,488. It lists several causes: competition from other schools, use of the state voucher program at private schools that reported gains, and falling birthrates. It calls the state's open enrollment system a major and growing factor. This year 955 students left Beloit for other districts and 86 came in, a net loss of 869. The article's archive figures show the net loss was 109 in 2004 and 718 in 2020.

The board president says the board's broader aim is improving academic achievement, including attendance, behavior and staff retention. The board and administration are preparing for further declines. A public charter school, Lincoln Academy, has 737 students and is expanding to eventually double its capacity. Earlier this month, long-range talks began on school configurations that could involve closing as many as five schools. The district has already closed and sold several buildings and is selling another.