Enders Road Elementary School is full to the brim, according to Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Jeffrey Gordon. Now the F-M district must consider its options if enrollment continues to grow in that part of the district.
On Monday night, Gordon gave an overview of district enrollment and hiring to the board of education. He pointed out that enrollment declined district-wide over the past six years, but development growth and recent housing turnover in portions of Manlius have created a situation where Enders Road is at full capacity, while other district schools have space available for additional students and classrooms.
Enrollment at F-M has dropped from 4,507 in 2010 to 4,235 in 2016, but that decline is almost entirely at the high school level, with classes that will graduate out of the district in the next few years.
Enrollments at the elementary level are high, and are likely to continue to grow because F-M attracts many more “move-ins” than “move-outs,” Gordon said, which is likely to increase the numbers for grades one through four next year. Kindergarten class sizes are the big unknown, and can vary widely.
This year, the board has prioritized long range facilities planning. However, if enrollment at Enders Road continues to grow, the board may need to take action for the 2017-18 school year to ensure that class sizes remain in line. That could include partial district realignment.
Superintendent Craig Tice said the district may need to “try to buy time with temporary solutions while we look at the big picture.”
The administration will continue to review enrollments throughout the year and consider options to ensure Enders Road class sizes remain within the district’s targeted thresholds.
