Juneau school enrollment drops for 5th year straight
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ Public school enrollment in Juneau dropped for the fifth consecutive year.
That's according to a recently released tally compiled by a state agency.
Superintendent Peggy Cowan says schools in the district haven't been hurt by the reduction.
District officials say they're anticipating a hefty boost in state education funding next year.
Cowan says teacher positions will be reduced by about nine, but she says retirement rate and other forms of attrition will keep her from having to lay anyone off.
The district's average daily attendance is about 5,073 students in 2008, down about 83 students from 2007.
The district's highest enrollment in the past 20 years was in 1999, when there were about 5,701 students.
The 2008 numbers were released last month by the state Department of Education and Early Development.
As the children of baby boomers age out of the school system, many communities in Southeast Alaska have seen steep declines in student enrollment over the past 10 years, with some districts losing about half their students.