By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — A near 20-percent decline in enrollment over the last 10 years was one of the main factors Three Rivers Community Schools officials say led to the restructuring of some elementary school placements for next school year.
That statistic was cited as part of a statement from the TRCS Board of Education read by Board President Erin Nowak at Monday’s school board meeting, discussing an announcement to parents April 11 that formally announced a “restructure” of elementary school placements in the district.
The restructure, as previously reported by the Commercial-News, will take place beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, and includes the elimination of fourth and fifth grade classes at Norton Elementary, the move of Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classes and Young 5s to Norton, and Norton going down to just one classroom each of kindergarten to third grade.
While it was stated by the board that “several elementary schools” would be affected by the restructure, the vast majority of elementary placement layouts at the other schools would remain effectively unchanged by the move, with Andrews, Hoppin and Park elementaries having K-5 and a special education class, and Norton getting GSRP, young 5s, and one class each of kindergarten to third grade.
In the board’s statement, it calls the decline in enrollment at the school district a “concerning trend” that they say mirrors a “statewide and countrywide pattern.” Citing its own statistics, the district said enrollment has dropped by 575 students since 2015, a drop of around 20 percent, with the majority being lost since the 2019-20 school year, which they chalked up to a number of external factors that “reflect broader demographic trends.”
“Reasons for the decline are multifaceted,” Nowak read. “Declining birth rates, increased competition from private, home and online schools, and families moving out of the area are all contributing factors.”
Citing more data, the statement claimed the county has had enrollment declines of 12 percent as a whole since 2015, while the statewide decline in that same time period is 7 percent.
The decrease in enrollment, according to the district’s statement, has led to what the district claims to be a loss of $5.1 million in state aid since 2015, based on per-pupil funding. Because of this, the statement read, there have been “difficult decisions” made by the district, including budget constraints and staff reductions. However, Nowak read that the district has still maintained a balanced budget in the last three years and “absorbing positions” in order to avoid layoffs.
Despite the restructuring, the school board’s statement read that the district would be “working closely” with families to “ensure a smooth transition” going into the next school year, and will “find the best possible solutions” for each student that may be affected by the change.
Overall, the district said in its statement they “recognize the challenges” posed by low enrollment, but are “optimistic” the restructure will pay off in the end.
“While we understand this is an unfortunate change, restructuring is designed to optimize the use of existing facilities and staff, allowing the district to maintain essential programs and services despite the reduced funding,” Nowak read. “By consolidating grade levels, Three Rivers Community Schools aims to create a more effective learning environment and ensure that resources are allocated effectively.”
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
