Modest enrollment growth for MACS
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Certified enrollment numbers for schools in southwest Iowa have been released by the Green Hills Area Education Agency.
The enrollments are split into two categories: “certified” and “served.”
“Certified” students are resident students in each district that generate funding through the state formula. This number would include any student who open enrolls out to a different district.
“Served” students would include resident students minus any open enrolled out students plus any students from other districts who tuition in or open enrolled in. In other words, served students represent a grand total of all students served by each district.
Depending on the number of students who choose to open enroll out of a district, a district may actually serve fewer students than its certified enrollment shows.
Mount Ayr recorded modest growth in both certified and served enrollment.
Mount Ayr’s 2019 certified enrollment increased by one student – 608.0 vs. 607.4 – as compared to 2018. Total students being served in Mount Ayr increased from 599.8 in 2018 to 605.8 in 2019.
(Fractional numbers are the result of different funding levels calculated by the state.)
Diagonal’s certified enrollment dropped by one student – 102.0 vs. 103.0 – as compared to 2018. Diagonal is also serving two fewer students in 2019 than in 2018 – 117 vs. 119.
Somewhat surprisingly, Bedford reported the largest increase in certified and served enrollment for 2019.
Bedford’s certified enrollment grew from 473.6 students in 2018 to 499.1 in 2019, an increase of 5.4 percent, the highest among the 42 schools in the Green Hills AEA.
Bedford’s served enrollment also grew by 5.4 percent, 458.6 in 2018 to 483.5 in 2019.
Bedford/Mount Ayr superintendent Joe Drake attributed the increase to a small graduating classes being replaced by larger kindergarten classes.
East Union also saw significant growth in the number of students served, increasing from 472.5 in 2018 to 505.0 in 2019.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Hamburg district lost 12.9 percent of its certified enrollment, dropping from 227.0 in 2018 to 199.0.
Three districts in area were among those losing the most certified enrollment.
Orient-Macksburg lost 9.0 percent, followed closely by Mormon Trail at negative 8.2 percent and Murray at negative 5.2 percent.
Considering regular program state aid to schools currently stands at approximately $6,736 per pupil, a fluctuation of only a handful of students can have a significant impact on school budgets.
Superintendent Drake will offer further details for the enrollment in the Mount Ayr schools at the Monday, November 11 school board meeting.
Area School District Enrollments
Certified Served (2018) 2019 (2018) 2019
Bedford (473.6) 499.1 (458.6) 483.5
Clarke (1450.1) 1442.4 (1354.3) 1322.1
Corning (413.8) 402.6 (378.8) 371.9
Creston (1447.5) 1475.4 (1385.8) NA
Diagonal (103.0) 102.0 (119.0) 117.0
East Union (491.5) 503.0 (472.5) 505.0
Lamoni (314.2) 301.6 (329.2) 322.3
Lenox (447.7) 441.3 (481.8) 484.5
Mormon Trail (249.1) 228.7 (209.0) 193.0
Mount Ayr (607.4) 608.0 (599.8) 605.8
Murray (243.2) 229.5 (287.2) 275.5
Nodaway Valley (642.1) 638.6 (614.6) 611.8
Orient-Macksburg (190.3) 173.1 (170.0) 152.0
