GIBSON COUNTY, IN (WFIE) -
Even the smallest change in enrollment can make a big impact on some school districts.
In Gibson County, two corporations are experiencing a dip this year while one is reporting an increase.
Tim Armstrong, assistant superintendent for the South Gibson School Corporation says their enrollment is up by 15 students this year.
That may sound like a small number but it's very significant to a "small" school corporation.
"In a district our size, we're considering any under 3,000 to be a small district. Each student is worth around $5,000 as far as state funding so that's about a $60,000 increase for us," said Armstrong.
Armstrong believes they've had an increase for a few different reasons.
"Partly is the transfers in from other school districts," Armstrong said. People are now mobile."
He says, geographically, South Gibson is the largest corporation in the county. That helps draw in those transfer students.
He believes another reason for the increase is Gibson County's employment rate.
"Our county's employment rate is up a little bit. It's not great. We're still recovering from the recession of '08 but anytime employment is up you have people moving into the district," said Armstrong.
The other two school corporations in Gibson Co. are reporting a decrease.
In the North Gibson District, there's been an 87 student drop.
Armstrong says that could be a sign of the times.
"We have fewer families having more children," said Armstrong. "That makes a difference. We have a population that's aging and having fewer children and we've had an economy that's driven people away from this area."
East Gibson's Superintendent Mike Brewster was unable for comment, but our media partner, The Princeton Daily Clarion, reports their enrollment down from 979 last year to 967 this year.
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
