Vigo Schools Lose Over $1 Million In Funding Due To Declining Enrollment

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VIGO COUNTY, Ind – Today (Tuesday 9/17/19) the Vigo County School Corporation released enrollment numbers for this school year.  The total enrollment stands at 14,190 which is a drop of 173 students from last year.

The state sets funding amounts on the total number of students. The rate is $6,510 per student which means that Vigo County Schools will receive $1.1 million less than last year.

Superintendent Dr. Rob Haworth said that the school system will need to continue to pursue new funding and budget cuts.

Haworth told the Trib-Star that they may have to look at redistricting or the possible closure of some schools to keep their budget inline.

 

 

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The full press release is below:

 

 

TERRE HAUTE, IN—Vigo County School Corporation saw a dip in the enrollment numbers that will determine 2019-20 state funding. In the first Average Daily Membership (ADM) count of the 2019-20 school year, Vigo County School Corporation has 14,190 students, down from last year’s 14,363. The count occurred on Friday, September 13.

State funding is on a per-student basis, and the second ADM count will be February 3. The September count retroactively provides funding for July 2019 until December 2019. The February count will determine funding for January-June 2020. Losing 173 students will cause Vigo County School Corporation to lose $1,126,230 in funding, since the state funds schools at a rate of $6,510 per student for the 2019-20 school year.

“The ADM count is where we get our funding, and our ADM count continues to shrink year after year,” said Dr. Rob Haworth, superintendent of schools. “According to our demographic studies, we must continue to look for new ways to raise revenue for our schools while making significant cuts to protect the financial stability of Vigo County School Corporation.”

The school corporation commissioned a demographic study in December 2017, and the predictions from the study continue to be accurate. The study predicted 14,199 students for the 2019-20 year. The study predicts that Vigo County School Corporation will lose an additional 636 students—and the state funding those students bring—in the next 8 years, as the population of Vigo County declines. At current funding levels, 636 students represent $4.14 million in yearly revenue.

One bright spot for the corporation’s student count is Vigo Virtual Success Academy, the school corporation’s virtual school option. As of September 13, VVSA has enrolled 109 students, 38 of them new to Vigo County School Corporation’s enrollment count. These 38 students represent