Enrollment Declines in Raton
Other Schools see Improvement
By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Each year school administrators start looking at enrollment figures at the 10th day of school to try to recalculate their budgets. This year is no different and for the Raton schools it will be a major challenge.
Most of the schools in the area however are looking at enrollment numbers that are about the same or slightly improved over last year. Both Des Moines and Wagon Mound saw enrollment drop but not nearly as much as Raton which lost 110 students from last year’s enrollment.
It was noted that some of the increase in enrollment numbers for Maxwell came from transfers from Raton. Job relocations and other factors contributed to the decrease in Raton’s enrollment. That large decrease will end up costing the district almost $420,000 this year.
In order to meet this decrease in student funding, classes will have to be cut and the first ones to go will be electives. Other cuts that administrators will likely look at are not filling vacancies left by retirement or other reasons. Tightening the budget in other places like travel and meals for athletics. Much of what was done last year.
Day 40 is the deadline day for enrollment numbers. On that day the enrollment numbers will be the last ones used for the final budget.
Another consideration of the declining enrollment for Raton will be their athletics ranking which is now class 3A. It is expected that will change next year when the New Mexico Activities Association meets for their realignment meeting. Other issues that, that will create will be longer travel for sports due to the distance of the other schools in class 2A.
|
|
2012 |
2013 |
Change |
|
Raton |
1167 |
1054 |
-110 |
|
Cimarron |
63 |
70 |
+7 |
|
Des Moines |
92 |
85 |
-7 |
|
Maxwell |
102 |
109 |
+7 |
|
Mosquero |
43 |
45 |
+2 |
|
Roy |
38 |
38 |
0 |
|
Springer |
199 |
200 |
+1 |
|
Wagon Mound |
77 |
70 |
-7 |
