Pasco School Enrollment Down, Class Size Up

The numbers are in, and they don’t look good.

As of Friday, Oct. 14, the Pasco County School District had 67,337 students enrolled, according to Summer Romagnoli, district spokeswoman. This number is 191 less than last year and below projections.

The district was expected to grow its numbers by 46 students, not lose enrollment, she said.

An for state and local funding was conducted last week in Pasco County Schools. Although final numbers won’t be available from the state for a few weeks, the numbers Romagnoli released show a downward trend in enrollment.

The school district receives about $6,300 in funding for each child enrolled. This means the 191-student drop could remove about $1.2 million from the current year’s budget.

“Not only did we not grow, but we saw a decline of 191 students,” Romagnoli wrote in an email. “The funds for the student enrollment that did not materialize must be returned to the state."

The true financial impact of the enrollment drop won't be known until a report is issued by the state.

"From that state report, we will obtain a better picture of our budget shortfall, if any," Romagnoli said.

McKay Scholarships

The number of students going to private schools on McKay Scholarships has also increased this year, Romagnoli said.

“Last year we had 389 kids on McKay Scholarships (attending private schools via vouchers),” she said. “This year, with the state’s new eligibility law in place (which expanded vouchers), we have 482 students attending private schools on McKay scholarships. The funds for these students go directly to the private school.”

McKay Scholarships are available to families with students who have special needs. They are overseen by the Florida Department of Education.

Class Size Numbers are Up

After and facing , the Pasco school district is also grappling with growing class sizes, Romagnoli said.

Right now, 18.5 percent of elementary classrooms are out of compliance with the state class size amendment. This represents about 423.5 students, Romagnoli said.

According to state law, elementary classrooms are capped at 18 students; middle school classes at 22; and high school at 25, she said.

Pasco has 15.9 percent of its middle school classrooms out of compliance, adding up to 291 students. At the high school level, 13 percent of classes are out of compliance, representing 170 students, Romagnoli said.

The full ramifications of being out of compliance with state law are not currently known.

Last year, districts that were in compliance "got a share of the $7.83 million taken from the ones that failed," Romagnoli said. "Last year, Pasco received $365,710 in the reallocation. And, the fines will likely be higher: $4,800 in grades K-3 and $4,400 in grades 4-12 for each student above the cap."

Even though having larger class sizes puts the district out of compliance, it's a move that was necessary in light of funding cuts, Romagnoli said.

“As a district, we did the best we could, within the confines of our budget crisis to comply with the class size mandate,” she said. “The funding was simply inadequate to meet the mandate without completely devastating non-core area classes. Our board and superintendent felt it was essential to continue offering a well-rounded education for every child in Pasco County. “

While total financial impacts of the dropped enrollment numbers and increased class sizes are not yet known, school board officials have indicated they know a need for future spending cuts is on the horizon.

“We do (need to) tighten belts even further,” said board chairwoman Joanne Hurley in a previous interview.