MUSD enrollment falls as charter school numbers rise

As Maricopa Unified School District experiences its first-ever dip in enrollment, the number of children attending local charter schools continues to climb.

“This loss of students is a huge concern,” said MUSD Superintendent Jeff Kleck.

At the start of the school year enrollment at MUSD was down by more than 500 students, an 8 percent decline.

However, since the start of the school year, 100 additional students have enrolled.

“We will probably stay pretty steady until Christmas time,” Kleck said.

MUSD, like all other public and charter schools, receives state and federal funding based on the number of students enrolled. Kleck said the district stands to lose $1.2 million as a result of the enrollment decline.

Kleck said dwindling enrollment is due to young families leaving Maricopa and to fear of ballooning class sizes in the wake of state cuts to education funding.

“Many parents have told us they are moving their kids to another school because they are scared of large class sizes,” Kleck said. “The override defeat not only cost the district in terms of direct dollars, but also created fear and uncertainty in the community leading to further financial losses from lower enrollment numbers.”

High school and charter school numbers up
Despite the district-wide drop, Maricopa High School has actually had an increase in enrollment.

“If you look at the numbers of children we’ve lost at the elementary level, it’s an indication that young families, especially, are struggling,” Kleck said. “They are losing their jobs, their homes and ultimately leaving Maricopa. Families with high-school-age children may tend to be more secure in their jobs and more able to stay.”

While MUSD’s population shrank by about 400 students, the number of children attending three local charter schools grew by nearly 700.

“Many people in town want a different option for their child’s education,” said Legacy Traditional School Founder Aaron Hale. “It is not that MUSD isn’t providing a quality education, it’s just that some parents are more comfortable with the culture in our school.”

Since last year, Legacy’s enrollment grew 40 percent, from 750 students to 1,050 students. Hale said the majority of new enrollees are children of families new to the community, not kids transferring from MUSD. He said the school is still adding about five to eight new students a day, but will soon reach its space limits.

At Pathway Preparatory Academy, Assistant Superintendent Curtis Cardine said enrollment also grew 40 percent this year, from 500 last year to 700.

“When parents hear other parents talk about our school, they want to send their children here,” he said. “People love our model.”

Cardine said he believes the city is still growing overall, despite some families leaving town.

Pathway is at capacity, but will have room to grow next year when a new campus is constructed increasing the number of classrooms from 28 to 36.

“It is an exciting time for us,” Cardine said.

New kid on the block
Besides the two established charter schools in the city, a third charter school, Leading Edge Academy, opened this year.

The school has capacity for about 250 students and current enrollment is 110, according to Principal Matt Reese. Reese said that number is growing, with five to 10 new students enrolling monthly. 

“It’s our goal to have more than 150 students by Christmas,” he said.

Reese said the majority of children enrolling at Leading Edge are coming from other charter schools, not MUSD. “Years ago, there were so many families moving to Maricopa that it wasn’t a very competitive market in terms of enrolling new students, but that is beginning to change. This competition will make educational opportunities at all local schools better.”