Enrollment Down in North Shore School District 112

Enrollment in North Shore School District 112 is decreasing, and analysts are forecasting a 10 percent decline in the number of students over the next five years.

The current tally of students is at 4,063, which is down by about 140 from a year ago - the Highland Park News reports. Forecasts based on birth data and historic patterns suggest the district’s enrollment could drop below 4,000 pupils next year and decline to 3,645 pupils by 2020.

But John Petzke, chief technology officer in District 112, said that while enrollment is clearly decreasing, a better time for an analysis on the matter may be two years from now.

“There is the ‘Chicken Little’ (thinking) that the sky is falling and this is a downward trend that is going to continue,” he said. “From my experience doing enrollment projections, I honestly feel we are going to be (reaching a) plateau in about two years, and we’ll have a better sense of what our enrollment projections will be. This district, in its history, has always been about 4,000 kids.”

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