Thousands of area students are preparing to head back to school. So what are some of the key issues facing educators this school year? Here are four subjects to study up on.

Declining Enrollment
A decade-long trend of declining enrollment continues to squeeze school budgets both locally and across Michigan. K-12 enrollment is down over 11 percent statewide in the last 10 years, according to the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information. At Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS), enrollment has declined from 10,887 students in 2004-05 to a projected 9,900 students for the 2015-16 school year – an almost 10 percent reduction.

“The schools outside of town are where the most decline is happening,” says TCAPS Superintendent Paul Soma. “The schools within Traverse City are full or beyond capacity. That’s something we’re going to have to grapple with.”

Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) enrollment has also dropped off since peaking at 5,440 students in fall 2010. Fall enrollment in 2014 was at 4,494 students; NMC President Tim Nelson says projections for this fall look “to be flat with last year.”

“We’ve been looking at demographics…and the 18-year-old population is declining,” says Nelson. To help reverse the trend, NMC is visiting more high schools, offering more campus tours and expediting funding and admissions processes to reduce obstacles to enrollment.

Both TCAPS and NMC have enrollment bright spots: TCAPS’ international student and early childhood/preschool populations are booming, while NMC’s nursing, maritime and aviation programs all have wait lists. Tech and skilled trade classes are also on the rise. TCAPS is one of the leading districts in the state for Robotics and VEX IQ (elementary-level robotics) participation. NMC received a state skilled trades grant this year that will bring $2.8 million in new equipment, technology and training to its campus.

Restructuring programming and/or reallocating resources to nurture these growing demographic areas could help offset declines elsewhere, say Soma and Nelson.

TBAISD Fund Balance
As low as 10 percent and as high as 30 percent: that’s the ideal fund balance for Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD), depending on who you ask. Last year, TBAISD agreed to a five-year plan to begin drawing its fund balance down from 44 to 30 percent, distributing excess funds to member districts like TCAPS for special education programming. But Soma says the 30 percent balance is still “too high,” and advocates for a 10 percent balance that would see more dollars dispersed to member districts.

TBAISD Superintendent Mike Hill says his board is “open-minded” and willing to work with districts on the fund balance percentage. However, Hill notes TBAISD has several major capital projects in the works – including a $4.3 million renovation of its special education adult work center – for which it needs to retain dollars. “We will not go out and bond or have a millage for those projects, because we don’t want to compete with local districts for those funds,” says Hill. “So we have to look at our long-term fiscal responsibility.”

Capital Projects
TBAISD isn’t the only district with capital projects on the horizon. TCAPS is in the midst of strategic planning for a 2017 capital bond proposal, while NMC hired Lansing-based lobbying firm Kelley Cawthorne this week to help the college secure state funding for a $20 million student learning and simulation center. Legislators have rejected NMC’s capital outlay request several years running. Nelson says Kelly Cawthorne is “one of the leaders in Lansing” and has a proven track record securing capital outlay funding.

Meanwhile, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools (GTACS) is seeking zoning exemptions that would allow the district to redevelop its Immaculate Conception campus, including constructing a new school. Renovations to the St. Francis campus could also be in the works. Consulting firm Jozwiak Consulting plans to present a request to Traverse City planning commissioners Tuesday to relax impervious surface requirements for GTACS – step one in the district’s long-term capital plan to “modernize” its facilities, according to Jozwiak Consulting.

Busing
Yellow school buses will return to Suttons Bay this fall for the first time in five years. Suttons Bay Public Schools has contracted with Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) for its transportation needs since 2010, but decided last spring to reinstate its own busing program for the 2015-16 school year. According to Superintendent Chris Nelson, internal busing – which will cost roughly $13,000 per year more than the BATA contract – “allows students to have a personal relationship with their bus driver” and “emphasizes safety and security” in transportation.

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians approved a $39,000 grant this month to help cover reinstatement costs for the busing program to Suttons Bay Public Schools, as well as $15,000 for Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy to participate in the program.