By Theola Labbé
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 1, 2007; B04
Enrollment in the D.C. public school system declined by 2,670 students from the previous school year, while charter school enrollment increased by nearly the same number, according to an audit scheduled to be released today by the State Education Office.
The 2006-07 enrollment for the traditional school system is 55,355 students, compared with 58,025 the year before. The number of students enrolled in charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently operated, reached 19,733 this year, an addition of 2,260 students. Charter schools now serve 26 percent of city children, a one-year increase of three percentage points.
Total public school enrollment remained relatively steady, with 75,088 students in 2006-07, compared with 75,498 the year before.
The audit does not show whether students left the traditional school system to attend charter schools. It is being released as both sets of schools hold open houses and parent information sessions to sign up next year's students. Charter schools must secure enough students to meet their operating budgets.
The new enrollment figures may fuel the debate over the future of the public schools, with D.C. Council members continuing to weigh competing proposals from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Board of Education President Robert C. Bobb.
The audit results are consistent with enrollment trends in recent years. In addition to the effect on individual schools, the enrollment changes affect student funding and teaching assignments.
State Education Officer Deborah A. Gist plans to deliver the audit to key city and school leaders today.
School system spokesman John C. White said the numbers showed that despite improvements in the public schools, charter schools continue to attract parents. But White noted that though overall student enrollment had decreased, high school enrollment had increased by 1,000, which he attributed to specialty high schools such as McKinley Tech in Northeast.
Thomas A. Nida, president of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, attributed the increased charter school enrollment to several charter schools that opened in the fall, plus other schools that opened a second location or added a grade.
At Washington Latin, a new charter school in the Cathedral Heights section of Northwest, about 100 students have submitted applications, and about 75 percent are from the traditional school system, said Nadine Duplessy Kearns, director of recruiting.
Kim Koontz Bayliss, a Cleveland Park parent of three children at John Eaton Elementary, said she favors more parental choice even though Eaton lost teachers last year when students left, some for charter schools.
"We have to respond and try to make our school more attractive," Bayliss said.
The District-based auditing firm Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio & Associates completed the audit between October and January under an $873,000 contract with the State Education Office. Auditors examined about 75,000 student records to verify residency and the number of special education students and limited or non-English-speaking students.