(La Porte, IN) - Annual declines in student enrollment in the La Porte School Corporation continue. Schools Superintendent Dr. Sandra Wood during Monday night’s school board meeting reported the official student head count in all grades for this school year is 5,561 students.

Wood said that’s 68 students less than last year with just over half of that loss coming at the kindergarten level.  “The trend of declining enrollment continues,” she said.

Wood said other school districts in the area and across the country are also seeing enrollment declines she attributed to lower birth rates nationwide.  Another factor is school of choice where parents have the option to send their children to other school districts.  Fewer students mean reductions in state revenue for schools since those dollars are based enrollment.  In 2008, enrollment in La Porte Schools was about 6,300 students.