SMUSD Predicts Further Decline in Enrollment

Though it is clearly not alone in confronting the trend, the San Marino Unified School District is entering a period of significant declining enrollment, according to a report received by the school board at a recent meeting.
Enrollment in California’s public schools at the K-12 level dropped by 1.5% in the past decade and is forecast to take an additional 7% hit by the end of the 2027-28 school year, according to Linda de la Torre, the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources.
The SMUSD predicts a drop of just over 200 students for the 2020-21 school year alone, according to the report. The district ended the 2019-20 school year with an enrollment of 2,973 students and projects 2,764 for the opening of the 2020-21 school year, which is expected to begin on Aug. 12.
By comparison, the SMUSD ended the 2009-10 school year with 3,228 students, according to the presentation, during which De la Torre stated that 3,200 students “is ideal.”
Based on California’s funding model, average daily attendance is the main source of revenue, with each student bringing $10,200 annually to the district’s coffers.
“Most declines last about 10 years and require drastic downsizing,” said De la Torre.
To possibly offset the shrinkage, the SMUSD plans to market and promote its new legacy interdistrict permit program, suspending the signing of students seeking a release from the SMUSD and meeting with site administrators to discuss staffing and enrollment issues.
Passed by the board last month, the legacy inter-district transfer permit program, allows the grandchildren of those who have lived in San Marino for 10 years or more to attend SMUSD schools. Since its inception, the program has received five applications, according to De la Torre, who also noted that the projected enrollment figures could be artificially low due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some parents might be reluctant to enroll their students,” said De la Torre. “Some might be waiting until the environment improves.”
The board also heard a report on college admissions for San Marino High School’s graduating class of 2020 from Director of Curriculum Jason Kurtenbach and Soomin Chao, the school’s assistant principal of counseling services. Self-reported data indicated that the average member of the class scored 1336 on the SAT, finished with a 3.6 GPA and applied to 11 colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning. Collectively, 2020 grads enjoyed a 39% acceptance rate, including a 36% rate to institutions in the University of California system, 51% to the California State University system and 6% to Ivy League institutions — all slightly above average. In all, 258 students applied to 304 institutions and received just under 3,000 acceptances, according to the report.
The San Marino Schools Foundation also reported the completion of its recent We Are San Marino campaign, which achieved its goal of raising $1.218 million to spare 14 full-time positions within the district.
The foundation raised more than $1.239 million, which includes allocations from each school-site PTA or PTSA totaling $140,000, and a one-to-one gift match of new individual donations during the last weeks of the campaign.
The most passionate segment of the evening took place during the public comment section, which opened the proceedings with the statements of 24 participants; many sent emails and letters and others spoke via telephone during the virtual meeting. All but one commented on a recent San Marino Police Department investigation into possible racist content and hate speech that was alleged to have been produced or been in the possession of four current or former students at San Marino High School.
“We are here to hold you accountable,” said Blair Imani, a 2012 SMHS graduate. “I don’t want to hear any more excuses.” Imani, who is black, advocates anti-racism training through school assemblies.
The vast majority of those who commented demanded promotion of anti-racism training for students, teachers and staff members, the hiring of more culturally diverse educators, a demand that hate crimes be reported to the proper authorities and a general fostering of diversity.
“It’s 2020,” said Daphne Liang. “It’s no longer acceptable to be an oblivious elitist living in our bubble. That time has passed. Hate crimes aren’t new, they have just been uncovered.”
Superintendent Jeff Wilson opened the meeting by condemning the infamous killing of George Floyd that has resulted in charges against some Minneapolis police officers and said the SMUSD “must address the adverse affects of racism and discrimination.”
Wilson also announced a special meeting of the board of education that will be held on Tuesday, June 23, at 3:30 p.m. “to incorporate how the district will move forward to address educational and social issues of diversity and implicit bias.”