School enrollment declines in Iowa’s cities, increases in suburban areas

Posted on Nov 23, 2009 by Admin.

Enrollment is down this year in the Cedar Rapids school district, mirroring statewide trends.

Official numbers released yesterday show the district has 16,755 students this year, a decrease of 207 from the year before. The total includes resident and non-resident students but not shared-time or dual-enrolled students.

Enrollment in Iowa schools has decreased for 11 consecutive years. Iowa public and private schools served 510,916 students during 2008-09, a decrease of nearly 4,000 from the year before.

However, the Iowa Department of Education says, some districts are bucking that trend. Enrollment is increasing at suburban schools near Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Iowa City.

Enrollment jumped 120 students for College Community schools. The district has 4,257 resident students for 2009-10 and serves a total of 4,494 students on campus.

The Linn-Mar district has 6,376.7 students this year, an increase of 216.5 from the year before.

Clear Creek Amana saw its certified enrollment increase from 1,439.5 students last year to 1,479.75 this year.

The Iowa City district’s official head count came in at 11,903.78 students — an increase of 154.

“We were anticipating a growth of 150 students,” Associate Superintendent Jim Behle said.

Marion schools declined by about 40 students this year, for an enrollment of 1,810.6.

“We anticipated it,” Superintendent Sarah Pinion said. “We knew that the kindergarten class coming in was smaller than the class that graduated.”

Related Articles:

• Iowa State University reaches record enrollment this fall – September 9, 2009
• Wartburg College hits second-highest enrollment in history – September 28, 2009
• Thanksgiving school break varies across Eastern Iowa – November 20, 2009
• Corridor schools make viewing president’s address to schoolchildren optional – September 4, 2009