Prescott Enrollment Spikes

PRESCOTT - The Prescott School District grew by 132 students in the 2011-12 school year, and with the extra money from the state because of the higher enrollment, the district's 2012-13 budget remains solid.

Superintendent Dr. Bill Jordan said the budget for next year will be very conservative because the district does not know how the enrollment in the district will continue to fluctu- ate. The school board unani- mously passed the new, status quo budget last Thursday.

In 2012-13, revenues are projected to be $4,071,908, which is $3,272 more than in 2011-12. Expenditures are expected to be a little bit higher than last year at $4,011,489, and $14,177 more than last year, said the district's Business Manager AJ Jacobson.

The large jump in enroll- ment in the 2011-12 school year is because of new contracts with Vista Hermosa Elemen- tary and Jubilee Youth Ranch, Jordan said.

The schools are now part of the Prescott School District and Prescott spends six hours a day on instruction for the new students. In return, Vista Her- mosa and Jubilee pay a fee to Prescott. Jordan said the merger makes sense because Prescott was getting the Vista Hermosa students on campus for their junior high and high school years anyway.

Also more students from Jubilee are taking classes on Prescott's campus at the high school level, he said.

And the merger comes with benefits. With the extra money from the state, Prescott is able to include Vista Hermosa and Jubilee in its professional development for staff to help teachers improve their skills and in turn help all students learn better.

"It made us all aligned," he said.

The contracting with the other schools is beneficial for Prescott financially. Jubilee and Vista Hermosa share 75 percent of the extra state money and Prescott keeps 25 percent, he said.

In addition to the extra en- rollment money, the budget for 2012-13 is conservative in other ways. One teacher retired and the district will not be filling the position, Jordan said.

The number of lower grade level students is declin- ing and so the district has created combination classes of a kindergarten and first grade split and a second and third grade split effective in September.

The district budgeted for 332 students even though at the end of the year the district had 346, Jacobson said.