Declining Enrollments.

Declining enrollment forces school districts to cope with many new problems, but also opens the door to new opportunities. A review of the implications of enrollment decline provides deeper understanding of both the problems and the opportunities. Among the major concerns are the disruptions caused by school closures, the new emphases required in planning, increases in financial pressures as income falls while costs remain high, and reductions in teacher morale as reductions in force occur. The major benefits are to be found in the freeing up of space in previously crowded facilities and the opportunities created for schools to try new programs, including those that reach out to the community. Districts must focus carefully on understanding national and local population trends, finding uses for empty classrooms, and involving the community in decision-making (particularly through participation on task forces). The experience of the Highline School District in Seattle, Washington, suggests that careful planning and community involvement can lead to positive results. This review of enrollment decline concerns concludes with several comments by a panel of educators concerning teacher transfer policies, reductions in force, justifications for employing decline specialists, and problems of socioeconomic isolation of schools caused by population shifts. (PGD)