Historical Pupil/Teacher Ratio Data

There has been significant discussion in the School District regarding the possibility that there may be a reduction in the number of teachers due to declining enrollment. One of the best measures we can look at, over time, is pupil-teacher ratio. The Idaho Department of Education has published this historical data on their web site.

I have posted a chart showing our District's pupil-teacher ratio from the 1993-94 school year until the current school year. As you can see on the chart there have been three years (06-07, 04-05 and 98-99) where we had a slightly smaller ratio than we do this year. Of course, this is a function of enrollment and staffing. The statewide teacher-pupil ratio is 18.2. One of the benefits of a small school is a lower pupil-teacher ratio. The lower the ratio, the higher the cost.

The trend line on the chart shows that, over time, our teacher-pupil ratio has declined. Within reason this is a good thing, but as enrollment continues to decline it is reasonable to consider what ratio is desirable for the District? What ratio demonstrates prudent management of financial resources? How can we best staff the school district to carry out our mission over time? These are all questions the Board of Trustees and the Administration must consider as we adjust to the current economic and demographic reality.

Based on our fall enrollment projections of 279 students (K-12) and 23.9 FTE teachers (assuming the Board accepts my staffing recommendation) our pupil-teacher ratio will decline to 11.7; the lowest level since the Department of Education began reporting this data.