by Derrick Williams
Thisweek Newspapers

Since 2002, more than 900 new students have entered the Lakeville Area School system. That is an increase of nearly 10 percent in just five years.

During the Nov. 28 School Board meeting, Greg Utecht, the district's coordinator of technology, information and media services, gave a report on student enrollment for this year as well as projections for 2007-08 and beyond.

"In the past three years we've been growing at a rate of 2 percent to 3 percent, and this year, we grew by 0.6 of a percent," Utecht said. He went on to say that growth models are even more tempered as we move into the future. By 2009, the district should have just 84 more students.

The models that are used to project enrollment have been solid, according to Utecht.

Next year's enrollment figures are based upon census data that includes children that are kindergarten-aged but not yet in school, according to Utecht.

With a change in enrollment comes possible changes in attendance boundaries. Those boundaries, which were last changed in 2003, divide the community into sections through which students are funneled to the correct school.

Director of Administrative Services Tom Coughlin said that the last time boundaries were changed, the alterations were successful.

"We wanted to make sure we put attendance areas together that would create equitable enrollments and would last a long time," Coughlin said. "Thankfully, that has been achieved."

But Coughlin said too that with the possible budget woes facing the district in 2007-08, changes to boundaries could be looked at as part of the budget process.

"[The budget] necessitates us to make sure that our schools are as efficient as possible in terms of enrollment," Coughlin said.

A change to the attendance boundaries could affect transportation costs as well as alter staff within buildings and make the entire district a bit more streamlined.

The board is scheduled to take another look at a possible attendance area change as soon as Dec. 19 at the board's regular meeting with any changes being made as soon as Feb. 13.

Derrick Williams is at lakeville.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.