By Crystal Hayduk
There were 2,262 students enrolled in the Chelsea School District (CSD) on Feb. 14, Michigan’s mandated Spring Count Day, said Superintendent Mike Kapolka.
That number is down from the verified count of 2288.03 students in spring 2023, and less than the unverified 2,275.50 student enrollment from last fall. (Final, audited numbers from fall will not be available until late March.)
February’s count will not be certified until the end of July, but the reduction in student enrollment is expected and widespread, said Kapolka.
“While our enrollment has experienced a slight decline, this trend is not unique to Chelsea,” he said. “It is evident in many schools across Washtenaw County and Michigan, primarily because of the decreasing birth rate statewide. According to the enrollment projection study conducted by the district in collaboration with Plante Moran in 2022, CSD was expected to see a decrease of 30 students. Encouragingly, we are currently performing better than that projection.”
With state aid funding for school operations based on student count, accurate numbers are necessary to maximize revenue. CSD receives a foundation allowance of $9,608 per student this school year.
State aid is based on a blended formula of enrollment in both fall and spring. The current school year’s funding used 10% of the 2023 spring count and 90% of the 2023 fall count. Ten percent of the 2024 spring count will be used to compute funding for the 2024-25 school year.
The next Count Day will be Oct. 2.
