Enrollment at Cotati and Rohnert Park schools is still declining, although slightly less than in previous years.
A total of 137 students left the district in the 2012-13 year, according to recently released data. That’s more than the previous year, but somewhat better than in 2007 through 2010, when about 200 students left the district each year.
School officials have blamed the decline on reduced birth rates, the economy and lack of good jobs that have forced families to relocate away from the Bay Area or out of state. But the decline began much earlier than the economic crisis, according to the data (see table below) with about 200 students leaving in 2003. Since that time, the district’s enrollment has dropped by 35 percent.
Critics have grumbled that families left Rohnert Park schools for nearby Petaluma or other district a result of low academic performance at Rohnert Park schools. The departure of the students only acerbated the problem, prompting the district to close La Fiesta Elementary and Mountain Shadows Middle School in 2010.
That resulted in less money for day-to-day operations, a problem the district is still grappling with. But partly as a response to the anger over school closures, officials earlier this year voted to open two schools starting fall 2013.
“We’ve made a lot of changes in the past two and a half years…and part of the change is because we are listening to the parents and creating offerings they like,” said Marc Orloff, the president of the school board. “Instead of creating budgets that are met with subtractions we are keeping parents here.”
If you’re a parent of a child currently or previously enrolled in the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District, we want to hear from you. Are you satisfied with your school, teachers and principal or is there something you’d like to see the district focus on?
ENROLLMENT AT COTATI-ROHNERT PARK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
2002-03 7,678
2003-04 7,479
2004-05 7,260
2005-06 7,023
2006-07 6,868
2007-08 6,654
2008-09 6,429
2009-10 6,193
2010-11 6,003
2011-12 5,907
2012-13 5,770
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