Cheney schools continue growing trend

Cheney Public Schools finished the 2016–2017 school year 36 students ahead of where it began last September.

According to information presented at the June 14 school board meeting, the district began 2016 with an enrollment of 4,438 full-time equivalent students (FTE) and ended with a June count of 4,474.

The June number was 18 students less than enrollment for May, and 31 below the high-water mark of 4,505 in March. In fact, it was the first time enrollment dipped below the 4,490 student level since the 4,487 recorded in October.

Overall, Cheney averaged 4,488 FTEs for the year, 128 above what was budgeted.

The numbers reflect a continuing growing trend in the district. Cheney began the year 115 students ahead of where it started in 2015–2016, and 273 FTEs ahead of 2014–2015. It also ended 172 students ahead of 2015–2016 figures and 305 FTEs — over a full average class size — more than 2014–2015.

Kassidy Probert, the district’s director of finance, said it’s typical to see FTE enrollment decline towards the end of the school year. What wasn’t usual this year was that decline typically begins several months prior to June.

Whereas both the previous two years showed periods of peaks and valleys, including dips below beginning-year numbers, 2016–2017 rose almost immediately and stayed consistently higher than estimated until slight decreases in April and May.

Probert expects enrollment to increase again in September.

“I’m anticipating about 95 to 100 additional students,” he said, adding most of those will be in the early elementary school classes.

School board directors also received an update on changes taking place at the district’s administrative site on Needham Hill — one of which involved something addressed in the recently passed school bond. Superintendent Rob Roettger said the district is proposing moving Three Springs High School from its current site in two portables next to the high school to a space on Needham’s upper site next to the Homeworks! program.

When the bond passed in February, it included $500,000 to move the alternative high school to a location between Cheney Middle School and the information technology facilities. The move to Needham is being billed as temporary — although if it works out it could be permanent — and would involve busing students from the high school to the administrative site.

Roettger said it would consolidate all of the district’s alternative education programs under one roof, while moving the current administrative occupants to the lower site’s Teaching and Learning building would do the same for most support services.

“All year-round staff will be on the lower site,” Roettger said, adding he and his assistant Sharon Throop will also be moving to Teaching and Learning while Jeff McClure, district maintenance director, and others of his staff will move to the lower building.

If the Three Springs move becomes permanent it would free up the $500,000 allocated from the bond for use elsewhere or put in savings, although where it would be used isn’t clear. Probert said the bond money is specifically budgeted, and renovations needed to house Three Springs would be funded by a portion of $200,000 previously allocated in the budget to replace chillers at the high school should they fail.

Money for replacing the chillers was also included in the bond.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.