Enrollment declines in Fairfield school district

Enrollment in the Fairfield Community School District is continuing to decline ? down by 16 students for the 2009-10 school year.

According to Superintendent Don Achelpohl, ?comparing apples to apples,? there were 1,842 K-12 students in seats last year and 1,826 K-12 students in seats this year, a 0.86 percent drop.

District administrators are completing the Certified Enrollment Count, which is due to the state Oct. 15. The count is based on the number of students enrolled in the Fairfield district Oct. 1. Although the number of students in seats adds up to 1,826, that number will be weighted ? other parts of the state-provided equation will be factored in, such as tuition-out students, dual enrollment and Indian Hills Community College sharing ? and the final number will be the district?s certified enrollment count.

?We haven?t gotten the weighted number yet, but we have an idea of what the count is doing,? said Achelpohl.

Achelpohl added the state has changed the way the count is done this year, and ?the high school was a hard beast to get a hold of.?

The official certified enrollment number for this school year is used to calculate the district?s new money to be received from the state for the next fiscal year.

For the complete article, see the Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.