SJSD reports newly positive growth

Oct. 30—St. Joseph School District leaders report the student population has grown, a shift from patterns observed in recent years.

The total number of students on the rolls is 10,312, an increase of 27 kids from the 2021 fall count. One decade ago, about 11,500 total children were enrolled. There has been a consistent loss of about 100 to 300 students per year, but the SJSD envisions that growth at the preschool level will create larger cohorts of students entering kindergarten and continuing study from there.

Students ages 3 and 4 are screened for enrollment at the St. Joseph Early Learning Center in the former Lake Contrary School and placed there based on need. Options are under review for expanding capacity.

"It is the first time that I've been here in which our enrollment has stabilized," Superintendent Gabe Edgar said on Monday. Hired as the chief financial officer in 2018, Edgar was promoted to the top job last spring and took office July 1. "There was a decline of 186 students my first year, 267 my second year and 166 my third year. That's good, so we're trending in the right direction."

There is no one cause in the loss of students that has happened in previous years. The region's population has decreased relative to the 2010 census, so there are fewer families with children. Private school enrollment is consistently growing, and home school is becoming a more popular option. Some families are changing residence to qualify for enrollment in the neighboring Mid-Buchanan R-V, Savannah R-III and Avenue City R-IX districts.

However, most parents of children who live in the St. Joseph city limits and the immediate surroundings must either send their kids to the SJSD, homeschool them, or enroll in private school. There is no open public enrollment, with a few exceptions, such as for kids with at least one parent who works for another district.

The SJSD continues to see a lopsided imbalance in high school student distribution. With 1,701 children studying there per the September count, Central High School has more students than Lafayette (710) and Benton (665) high schools combined. Indeed, Central's enrollment is more than Lafayette, Benton, Bishop LeBlond (176) and St. Joseph Christian high school-level enrollments combined. Among the four middle schools, Bode (472), Truman (460) and Spring Garden (456) have equivalent enrollments, while Robidoux Middle School has fewer (376).

Capacity at the middle school level is limited, prompting the district to continue teaching most sixth graders at elementary schools, contrary to the recommended K-5, 6-8, 9-12 division found elsewhere. In part because of sixth graders' presence there, Carden Park (539) and Oak Grove (492) remain the most populous elementary schools, and they are also the newest buildings in the district (the Early Learning Center was recently renovated). Eugene Field (261) and Pershing (266) elementary schools are the lowest-population schools, indicative of an overabundance of capacity the SJSD has at the K-5 level.

Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem