Fontana School District seeking answers to declining enrollment
By Todd Mishler
Copy editor
Open enrollment has eased the pain, but decreasing numbers of resident students has continued to pick at the scab that apparently won’t heal anytime soon for Fontana Joint 8 School District.
Declining enrollments have forced officials to transition from two sections to one in most grade levels of the 4K through eighth grade district.
In-district student enrollment has dropped from 203 in 2010-11 to a projection of 153 for next year, a number that could dip to 148. And total enrollment has plummeted from a high of 305 in 2013-14 to an estimated 222 for 2018-19.
So, as is the case with most smaller/rural districts across the Badger State, the current state funding formula simply doesn’t add up — fewer students means fewer dollars, and where do they find the latter?
Read more in the Feb. 23 Times/Reporter – on stands now – including a preview on the school board meeting set for 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26.
