Schools see enrollment fall again

If our population is growing why is it that our schools enrollements are declining the last 6 yrs?

Our population has actually had a net decrease of about 3 1/2% over the last few years, which is being represented in the current decline in student enrollments.

Best wishes,

Yes...why is that? We really did need that bond and 37 million in debt which was proposed by the district. When taken to task on their numbers (the district's numbers as opposed to the state numbers) they claimed the "naysayers" had no idea what they were talking about. Hmmmmmm. It would seem we were right on track. Imagine that. Honesty goes a long way with the voters.

Population in Mountain Home has actually been increasing

Mountain Home

July 2008 12,382

July 2007 12,201

July 2006 11,859

July 2005 11,765

July 2004 11,746

In Elmore County a slight drop from July 2004

Elmore County

July 2008 28,997

July 2007 28,864

July 2006 28,320

July 2005 28,590

July 2004 29,064

Ya, you see the trailer park ouside of the high school? Hey, lets do this....Cram 380 more students into the high school! Thats the way to get the school bond to pass! How are the freshman going to get lockers, from where? Its insane what is happening there in MH...I feel bad for these kids....Not only have they never had freshmen in high school there, but now they will have to brave their way down the already crowded hallways. I dont see any of this turning out so well for the kids :(

So if the decline has been happening year to year over the last six years what is the surprise here.

Why is it declining?

Less kids in the community (even thought population is stable)

More kids being homeschooled?

More kids attending schools elsewhere; I.E. Private schools?

I don't understand why some in this town are making such a fuss over the 9th grade being at the high school. Everyone I have ever known (prior to coming here)and including myself have attended a 4 year high school. I found it very odd that high school was only 3 years here. I understand that the high school is small and according to some can not support the increase in students attending. I don't understand why the high school wasn't built first then a new junior high, it would have made more sense. I don't know anyone that runs a project and starts in the middle. I am afraid that people running our town aren't very good at managing our tax dollars and resources. Between this and the WERCD I am starting to wonder if we need to start taking a closer look at everything being locally (government) run in Mountain Home.

Pandora, you are absolutely right....When the MHJHS was being built they community was led to believe it was to be the new High School, but, then later it was found that the gym was to small I beleive and it was to be a high school, which, in my humble opinion only was what it was to be all along...The community was lied to and now will not pass another bond. So now HMS and MHJHS have only 2 grades in each building and the MHHS is packing 4 grades into a school that cannot facilitate them all....Makes no sense to me.....

Oh my! mhg, you and I agree. The school district did as they did to FORCE taxpayers into the situation today thinking that due to their poor plans we would vote for anything they asked for without doing the math. The problem with that was that when they provided the numbers in the paper to "support" their claims---they did not match the state numbers re: enrollment. So, in short, they were not truthful. Then, fast forward to the bond meeting with McMurtrey where an entire roomful of people grilled him with questions on why the district had such a fancy plan. He was arrogant enough to tell us that the bond lost the last time by such a small margin that this time it was bound to pass and they would NOT re-work their plan because some of us did not like it. He stated the ballots were already printed and he was not willing to pull the matter for a less expensive plan (and yes, I was at the meeting). Less arrogance probably would have helped. Well, you see what it got you Mr. McMurtrey and now, after all of the less than factual info put out by the district, good luck with ANY bond in the future. Couple that with the WECRD mess and the last school built and there is less than a snowballs chance in heck of passing this thing. The citizens who fought this thing offered to help the district, for FREE, to come up with a more economy-friendly plan and the powers that be could not be bothered. So, it will not bother me to vote "NO" for a third time. Turn down free help when education is in the state it is? You had at least 50 people willing to help you people get a bond passed---that the community would have supported! You cannot be in that bad of shape if you turned down free help. Great posts PWells and mhg. I am glad to see that people remember and have the actual facts.

OM

I never thought I would say this but I actually agree with you. I know shocking. I admit I did vote for the bond because I believe the improvements are needed, yet I don't agree with them moving the 9th graders over to the HS and agree that they are doing it to try to get a bond pass. I wish they had taken you up on the offer from the community to modify the plan the schools do need improvement but to bully is not thy way.

Pandora,

When I was in school many years ago, Our high school was only 10th - 12th. Still is as far as I know. My school was and is much bigger than here. We had just about everything that was in the plan for here yet it still did not include 9th graders. If they don't have the room for them in the HS than they shouldn't have moved them over. There is enough preassure on the kids without the added stress of being overcrowed.

Thank you OM...My nephew will be starting High School next year in MH and I worry about that very much, especially now. Im with you on the bond issue, it wont pass and this moving 9th grade to the HS is a pretty sad way to try and get it done...and that WECRD...Oh my, thats a whole other messy issue! That board just needs to resign to give the project a better chance, but, EGO EGO EGO....

Decline in enrollment might be from children/students getting fed up with the highschool and middle school and moving on to private schools, online schools and charter schools. I know all of our children have and came to us with plans other than attending the local high school.

When teachers can't be bothered to teach and their answer to questions the students have range from "I presented that in class, you should have gotten it then" or "It is not my job to make sure you understand it, my job is to present it, your job is to understand it!" That was enough for me, homeschool it was and now all go to Richard McKenna or have graduated from McKenna. I can't say I would want it any other way.

Too much drama in high school and I am not talking about the students!

Well ST, do not fall off your chair and hit your head...but on this we do agree. You have done the research, followed the facts and know the "real" story as opposed to the one the district wanted all of us to fall for. It was a battle on that bond but I believe we would have lived to regret what was proposed. The really sad thing is that something was/is really needed but it needed to be on a much less "grand" scale and what was proposed should have had more thought as to what the community would (or was willing) to pay for. Greed took over on that front. Now, with the WECRD mess and the prior bond (that built the HS/JH) the voters are going te really examine the next plan. Who lost? The kids. I hope something was learned from that.

See, the town "nut job" and "freak" was not so out there after all. Any "bets" now on the WECRD and how that will turn out? Takers?

Simple solution- disband the WERCD and put the money towards a reasonable high school facility. We already paid the taxes it should go toward a need not a want any way.

Pandora,

By law, if the WECRD is disolved, the monies collected would be given to the county. The county MUST use it on some form of recreation. While your idea is a great one, it does not comply with state law.

Since the state law is to use the bond on some sort of rec center, you could feisably kill two birds. Built the gym for the school and allow the public to use the facility outside of school hours. I know there would be some hurddles, no pun, to get over, but it would be thinking outside the box and would accomplish both tasks. My son is in the JH and daughter is starting HS this year. I feel sorry for them, they have to suffer the stupidity and greed of a few. I have thought about private school for them, they deserve the best and sadly they are not getting it. And its no fault of their own, its a failure on the part of the city/county and someones sad ego.

OM,

We do agree but I didn't do any research I used common sense to come to my decision. I took a little of what each side said as the truth and went from there.