KSD: After COVID ‘Enrollment Drops’ Slow Growth Expected

At the most recent Kennewick School Board meeting officials presented budget and enrollment projections that indicate a slow return to more normal numbers.

KSD saw biggest student 'losses' in K-5 enrollment

According to the figures presented, Kennewick did see about 772 fewer students as a result of various reasons during COVID. Whether it was transfers to other Districts, homeschooling, or other official withdrawals, the District did lose students and some declines in funding.

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Due to lower enrollments and other factors, there is a deficit of $10.4 million in the general fund, but the District plans to use Federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds to offset that.

  District lays out enrollment figures

For the first time, we are seeing a specific breakdown of which grades saw the biggest declines during the pandemic. They are listed below: (the overall basic education numbers)   these are 2020 vs. 2021 numbers:

• K-5 a loss of 512 students
• Middle School a loss of  128 students
• High Schools gain of 86 students (2019 vs. 2020 saw a decline of 54 so a net gain of 32).
•  The numbers for Delta, Legacy and Phoenix alternative HS were virtually unchanged. Whatever slight losses were returned in 2021-22.

The District reports for 2022-23 the enrollment numbers are expected to slowly rise, and they will continue to utilize ESSER  funding until it locally stabilizes.