Public school enrollment has declined in Utah for the first time in more than 30 years.

Fall 1998 enrollments of 477,061 show a 2,090-student decline from last year - seven times the amount anticipated by the State Office of Education.The drop is attributed to families moving out of state and a 1993 dip in the number of Utah births, Patty Bowles, state school statistics specialist, told the State Board of Education Friday.

"The amount of out-migration surprised us," she said.

Enrollment is expected to decrease again next fall to 475,869 due to the same circumstances, projections show.

Student numbers are expected to slightly increase in 2000, gradually increase through 2004 then jump to nearly 600,000 students through 2010, according to numbers from the State Office of Education and the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.

Granite School District accounted for three-fourths of the statewide enrollment decline, with a loss of 1,545 students. The district is considering altering the boundaries of 12 schools due to shifting enrollments, declining in the east and booming in the west.

Other enrollment dips were reported in Salt Lake City School District, losing 407 students; Weber lost 343, and Provo lost 188.

But there was growth in 12 of Utah's 40 school districts, ranging from 514 students in the Alpine School District and 399 in Nebo School District to 21 in North Summit and six in Grand school districts.

Enrollments projections are presented to the Legislature months before the Oct. 1 head count. Predictions generally fall within 0.5 percent of the actual numbers, and this year was no exception, said spokeswoman Eileen Rencher for the State Office of Education.

The state's basic education funding falls under weighted-pupil unit formulas. So while the state got more than it needed per student earlier this year from the Legislature, the excess will be given back to the state next session, according to budget requests approved Friday. The money has not been spent, and each student gets the same amount of funding regardless.

- In other news, the State Office of Education will ask for a 3 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit, or from $1,854 to $1,910 per student, when the Legislature convenes in January.

Board member Neola Brown questioned whether that was enough of an increase, considering Utah spends the least amount per student in the nation.

"I think we're foolish to always be so cautious in asking," Brown said. "Education is reaching the point that we are going to have to be (aggressive) in what we ask for and really go for it."

Brown's comments followed a presentation showing Utah schools are missing out on $282 million annually - or $500 per student - due to tax cuts rolled out in the past six years. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Scott Bean recently presented that figure to Gov. Mike Leavitt.

"Someway, somehow, people have got to come to the realization that we can't have the lowest expenditures per pupil year after year and not have a serious consequence," Bean said.

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Additional Information

Enrollment figures Utah public school enrollment:

1994 471,402

1995 473,666

1996 478,028

1997 479,151

1998 477,061