Milford Chronicle

MILFORD — Milford School District saw a slight increase in the student population, but only a fraction of the growth it district experienced in 2007.

Sept. 30 is the date state officials set for a final unit count, or tally of students, so that teaching positions can be aligned to balance the enrollment.

In 2007, there were 4,050 students attending Milford schools.

On Sept. 30, that number increased to 4,151, according to Dr. Robert D. Smith, district superintendent.

In the education arena, student enrollment is linked to state funding. Due to funding stresses, Milford will not accept any school-choice students.

"We get funding by the state unit. We haven’t gained any funding in the last few years. Everything costs more. We’re not getting anything for the increases. We’re moving backwards in actual spending power," he said.

"The community is doing its fair share. The tax rate is high enough."

Of the 4,151 students, 515, or 12.4 percent, are classified as special needs students. That compares to 490 last year.

"We’ve seen an increase in students from low social and economic status. That presents new challenges for the district," he said.

Dr. Smith describes student enrollement numbers as "very volatile."

Two of the district’s five schools actually realized a slight decrease, as of the Sept. 30 count.

There are 717 students at Morris Early Childhood Center, compared with 728 last year, and 617 students attend Benjamin Banneker Elementary School, compared to 632 last year.

The enrollment at the middle school was nearly steady: 952 this year and 947 in 2007.

Meanwhile, there are four new students in the district’s Intensive Learning Center, bring the population to 57 this year.

"It changes every day," said Dr. Smith, noting that most of the new students are attending Milford High School.

This year at the high school, there are 1,156 students in grades 9 through 12; last year there were 1,140 in the building constructed in 1970 to house about 900 students.

"The units haven’t changed, they are just in different places," he said.

Teachers are adjusting to larger classes, and at the high school, sometimes less time for planning and preparation.

"In some cases, the class size has been over 30," he said.

Larger classes are also the result of more stringent academic criteria, including requiring that high school students have five math credits.

"We are trying to balance it out and make it work," Dr. Smith said.

But he expressed concern that some students don’t fare well in large classes.

"If there’s not the individual attention, the failure rate is higher," he said.

"We’re in a doom loop. The resources aren’t there, and the failure rate makes the classes more crowded."

Meanwhile, the district is embarking on a major construction project that is expected to alleviate some of the overcrowding.

A Central Academy for students in 8th and 9th grade will be built adjacent to the exisitng high school.

Nearly simultaneously, the district will also build a new elementary school adjacent to Ross Elementary.