Southern Lyon County’s enrollment continues to decline but at a slower rate, according to numbers released by the superintendent Tuesday afternoon.
Mike Argabright, superintendent of Southern Lyon County, said the district is down about 20 students — which is half the number of students the district was down at the same time in 2008. The numbers were prepared for the Sept. 20 state deadline for funding.
In 2008, Southern Lyon County had 507.8 FTE students and 540 students at head count. The 2009 unaudited numbers show 487.5 FTE students and 520.8 at head count. Argabright said the numbers are not surprising.
“Yes, we’re down but close to where we thought we’d be,” he said. “We’re where we planned to be. Obviously we are going to have to make up 20 kids. We have a little bit of help on a three-year average as far as stretching that out a bit.”
Argabright said the school district budgets on a three-year average.
“That helps soften the blow a little bit,” he said.
Argabright said the decline will continue until the number of seniors graduating out of the district is balanced by the number of kindergartners coming in.
“We’re going to continue to decline for a few years until trends change for us,” he said.
Enrollment is on the decline in North Lyon County as well. Enrollment as of Sept. 21 this year is 517.5. On Sept. 20, 2008, that number was at 525. Superintendent Mike Nulton could not be reached for comment.