Oysterponds superintendent to give student enrollment update tonight
Oysterponds superintendent Dick Malone is expected to give a student enrollment update at tonight’s regular school board meeting in Orient.
According to tonight’s agenda, Mr. Malone will discuss the findings of a new enrollment committee report. The Board of Education agreed in September to form the committee in order to develop a five-year enrollment projection.
Mr. Malone has said the committee is gathering information from local hospitals, Southold Town and Suffolk County in order to develop potential solutions if projections forecast dwindling student enrollment.
In September, he said the district has 173 enrolled students, 85 at the elementary level and 88 attending Greenport and the district’s newly created preschool program has seven students.
Last year there were 157 students in the district, 84 elementary and 73 secondary. Although student enrollment is up this year, the district has experienced a downward trend over the past few years.
While 2010 census data shows a total district population of 1,669 — an increase of 204 since 2000 — school district numbers show student enrollment has decreased by nearly 12 percent over the past three years.
In addition to discussing student enrollment, the school board is likely to schedule the following budget workshops: Feb. 26, March 5, March 12, and April 2.
Scroll down to view the complete agenda. Read more in the Dec. 20 issue of The Suffolk Times in both our print and electronic editions.
Oysterponds school board meeting agenda, Dec. 18, 2012
