While the Gorham school budget request is rising, student numbers are taking a slight dip. Projections indicate a downturn in district enrollment for the rest of the decade.
The School Committee is asking the Town Council to approve a $28 million budget this year over last year’s $26.1 million, a 7.2 percent increase. According to projections by Planning Decisions, Inc., enrollment is expected to decrease by 22 students from the present 2,718 to 2,696 for the next school year beginning in September.
The budget approved a year ago represented a 4.9 percent hike with 35 less students for the school year, down from 2,753 students in 2004-2005.
Enrollment in Gorham schools appears to be entering a period of decline. The projections indicate district enrollment will dip to 2,632 in 2010 before beginning a gradual rise to 2,799 in 2020-21.
At Gorham High School, the student numbers are expected to increase slightly, from 874 to 879 next fall. But then, high school enrollment is expected to steadily drop, dipping to 751 in 2016-17. By 2020-21, 859 students are expected to attend the high school.
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