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Student enrollment grew this year in both San Diego Unified School District and the charter schools it oversees, according to a report released by the district. That’s good news for the district because California gives schools money based on how many students attend: More kids means more funding. The gains contradicted the school district’s own predictions that enrollment would drop this year.
A press release from the school district stated:
“We want to make our schools the first choice for education in San Diego,” said Superintendent Terry Grier. “This district’s continued improvement on our test scores, providing more choices for our students and Team San Diego — our great teachers and staff — have helped make that happen.”
Gaining 705 students meant a 0.5 percent increase in enrollment for San Diego Unified-run schools. Elementary schools gained most of the enrollment, while middle schools and high schools suffered losses of 0.7 and 0.6 percent. Charter schools overseen by the district had a 1.2 percent increase in enrollment as two new schools opened and existing charters expanded the grade levels they offered.
But individual schools vary dramatically from the overall trend of slight growth. Kimbrough Elementary in Grant Hill lost nearly one-fourth of its students this year compared to last, while Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School grew by nearly 50 percent.
Enrollment was nearly halved at Memorial Academy, a charter school I wrote about earlier this year, while 265 students opted to attend a district-run school on the same campus, Memorial Prep.
The full report is available here.