NORTHFIELD — For the first time in eight years, the start of a new school year didn’t mean decreasing enrollment for the Pioneer Valley Regional School District.
Instead, there was a net gain of 11 students, an occurrence that Superintendent Ruth Miller attributes to the administration and school committee responding to students’ and parents’ suggestions.
Miller said that when she started work as the new superintendent last year, she invited parents and students to communicate what they’d like to see from the district’s schools.
“There were clear things that parents and others wanted academically,” she said.
For example, Pioneer expanded its technical curriculum, began offering online advanced placement classes and added a life skills program for special needs students.
“Before, we didn’t have any programming at all for them,” Miller said, referring to the special needs students. “Now, we have a special program that meets their needs.”
Additionally, Miller said students wanted different lunch options, a salad bar, nighttime sports games and pep rallies, with the administration responding to all of those requests.
“Last year, every single sport got a night game, which was great,” she said.
Miller said the decline in enrollment started in 2008.
“We had a general decline in the area,” she said. “Pioneer lost more kids annually than anybody else.”
For the past four years alone, the district experienced a net loss of between 16 and 29 students each year, with consistently more students leaving than coming into the district.
This year, the district saw a net gain of 11 students. While Miller said the district receives about $13,000 per student, she is unsure yet how the net gain will be reflected in the budget. Among its five schools, the district has 867 students.
Miller said she hopes to see a continuing trend of increasing enrollment.
“I think it’s going to be slow,” she said. “We’re not going to see a lot of growth because there’s not a lot of growth in the area.”
“Maybe, just maybe we’ve turned that corner on declining enrollment.”
Miller said the primary focus is on retaining students within the four district towns, rather than trying to attract School Choice students. This year, the district saw 15 new School Choice students, 19 students who moved into the district, four who returned from Franklin County Technical School, two who returned from a charter school and one who returned after leaving the district.
By contrast, 27 students left for Franklin County Technical School, one moved away, one transferred to the Brattleboro Town School District and one started home schooling.
“Are we perfect? No. But there’s a lot of things we do well,” Miller said recently. “I think you’re going to see more kids coming back, but I think you’re also going to see more kids staying.”