Enrollment in the Kent School District is down 603 students in September compared to a year ago when classes began, the district reported this week.

Fewer students mean an estimated loss of approximately of $7 million of revenue for the 2018-19 school year, the district said.

Enrollment projections are a key component of the district’s annual budget development process, school officials explained. Projections determine or influence many of the financial estimates that comprise the budget, particularly in instructional areas. Staffing estimates are established using projected enrollments and student-teacher ratios. Allocations to schools for instructional materials and supplies are also calculated based on projected enrollments.

According to media reports, the lower enrollment trend is not unique to Kent. Neighboring districts’ enrollment including Bellevue, Federal Way, Highline, Seattle, Shoreline and Tukwila are all lower than their projections.

The district said it is evaluating multiple factors to understand the reasons for the enrollment decline.

Through contractual language around transfers and classroom size, all classrooms in the district’s 42 school buildings were balanced by Sept. 15, school officials said. The district said it has worked with the Kent Education Association (KEA) to address contractual agreements regarding teacher-student ratios. The classroom ratios throughout all grades levels remain about the same as last year, the district said.

The Kent School District Board of Directors adopted a budget in August and approved changes to the KEA contract for teachers earlier this month. The KEA, the union representing about 1,500 district teachers, ratified a two-year, agreement on Aug. 29, averting a likely, late-hour strike before the start of classes. Teachers will receive a 10 percent boost in pay the first year, 4.5 percent the next year.

The board adopted a budget amendment and revised the district’s four-year outlook, once all open contracts are settled, at its Sept. 12 meeting.

Additionally, on Sept. 17, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) requested that all public school districts in the state provide a revised four-year outlook if their “previously submitted budget did not include an accurate depiction of all recent labor agreements.” The revised four-year outlook is due by Nov. 1.

T.J. Kelly, director of school apportionment and financial services at OSPI, also reminded districts that “per RCW 28A.505.040(3)(c), OSPI must consider a district’s four-year budget plan when ranking each school district by financial health. As such, OSPI will incorporate elements of the four-year budget of each district into their score in the financial health indicators model when it is released in the spring. The weighting and score assignments associated with those new elements have not yet been determined.”

In accordance with OSPI’s request, the KSD Budget and Finance team is preparing presentations to provide information to the board and community about the revised budget, including actual enrollment counts for the 2018-19 school year and the revised four-year outlook, including the settled contracts.

In October, through work sessions and regular board meetings, information will be shared in open public meetings, before the revisions are taken before the board for approval on Oct. 24.

Details about all board meetings, including agendas and meeting times are available on the board website.