By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Brandon Twp.- The district is down 123 students from this time last year, resulting in approximately $1 million loss of revenue based on the state foundation allowance of $7,511 per pupil

In spite of the continued loss of students, the fund balance continues to increase.

Paul Bryant of Plante & Moran, presented the results of the district’s audit at the school board’s Oct. 17 meeting, and issued the district an unmodified opinion, the highest possible rating, calling the district’s financial practices “extremely clean.”

“We kept the students first and kept the district in the green, rather than black or red,” said Board President Kevin McClellan. “We had cuts in state funding and massive cuts. We looked at right sizing the district, the tough decisions had to be made, and we kept as much good as possible. We did the best actions we could for the best interest of the district.”

The loss of 123 students was less than the prior projected loss of 150 students.

The district has been losing students since 2006, through the economic downturn as families moved away, and in more recent years, due to a declining birth rate. The biggest losses came at the high school, which went from 1,057 students in 2015 to 982 students this year, due to a large graduating class, and at Harvey Swanson Elementary, which has 292 students this year, down from 328 in 2015.

Superintendent Matt Outlaw, who praised the district’s financial team for their efficiency in growing the unassigned fund balance to $1,790,623, or 6.85 percent, said out of the 123 students lost, 75 were non-residents of the district.

Students losses are expected to continue for the next four to five years, but there is hope in the increasing preschool numbers— which went from 117 students last year to 149 this year.

“Some of those big classes are graduating and the lower grades are growing again,” said Outlaw. “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel in declining enrollment.”