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County adds 235 more students Medford, Prospect gain most By Vicki Guarino of the Mail Tribune The county's largest district, and its smallest, are posting the biggest gains in enrollment this school year. Overall, however, county public schools are showing only slight enrollment shifts. Countywide, 29,145 students are attending classes, up just 235 students. Medford's enrollment is up just over 2 percent, to 12,637. Prospect, the smallest kindergarten-grade 12 district, has increased to 189 students. The gains in Medford are slightly ahead of what administrators anticipated; gains in Prospect reverse a worrisome drop in student numbers over the past several years. Enrollment numbers, filed for the close of school Thursday, are the first official head counts for public schools. Sept. 30 is the one day all public schools across the country report student numbers. In Oregon, the numbers are a concern because most school revenue is distributed by enrollment. On average, districts this year will receive just under $4,500 for each student enrolled. Declining enrollment, even small shifts, can cause problems for districts. They come after budgets have been set, so cuts are difficult or impossible to make. Less money also threatens special programs and enrichment opportunities. For those reasons, Ashland schools Superintendent John Daggett was happy to see his district reverse a trend of declining enrollments over the past several years. From 1995 to last year, the district lost nearly 100 students. Rogue River School District also has been losing a few students year by year. Unlike Ashland, however, Rogue River's enrollment this year continues that trend. Since 1995, Rogue River district enrollment has dropped five percent. "Any drop in enrollment numbers is a concern as it relates to funding projections," said Rogue River Superintendent Charles Hellman. The district has responded with cuts. This year, Rogue River has dropped four teaching positions. The smaller districts are highly susceptible to enrollment shifts. Prospect's declines over the past several years had prompted community concern that the district would become too small to afford to operate as an independent, k-12 school. A district committee has been formed to consider several options in the coming few years, including merging with neighboring districts and finding ways to recruit more students. Changes at another small district, kindergarten-grade 8 Pinehurst, show how significant a slight change can be, said Pinehurst board member Wendy Fullerton. Pinehurst lost nearly 30 percent of its enrollment by dropping just 11 students. "All it takes is one family with lots of kids to make a dramatic change for us," Fullerton said. "It makes it hard to plan." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA