Don't Believe the Hype (Updated)

See update below.

The powers that be at Eagle Ridge Academy would have you believe that the enrollment news for next year is good news.

Our enrollment projection for next year is looking great. As of today we have signed
up:

46 sixth graders, 51 seventh graders, 49 eighth graders, 60 ninth graders, 43 tenth graders, 41 eleventh graders, and 30 twelfth graders for a total of 320! Our projected goal is 50 students per grade level.We always have some attrition over the summer so capping sign ups at 60 for grade 9 is probably safe, but we will start waiting lists at 55 in the other grades.

But is this really good news?

According to the Minnesota Department of Education's 2007-2008 School Report Card, Eagle Ridge Academy had a student population of 291. An enrollment count submitted by Eagle Ridge Academy to the Minnesota Department of Education on November 17, 2008 estimated student enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year to be 257 students, a loss of 34 students from the previous year. So how can a projection of 320 students (+63) not be good news?

While the administration admits to experiencing "some" attrition over the summer, what they don't overtly admit is that in charter schools "some" attrition is usually a loss of 10 to 20% of the projected student body, as in the Academy's concession that it expects a loss of at least 10 students from 9th grade. If attrition rates stay true to form then the Academy would suffer a 32 to 64 student loss from the projected 320 students for an enrollment of 256-288 students. For a school entering its sixth year of operation in 2009-2010, this is not much to be proud of and not good news, and with no waitlist to draw on the news only gets worse.

Now, given the sturm und drang of last year, it is not unexpected that this year's enrollment dropped by 34 students. However, the loss was even greater than that if one examines the enrollment projections from last year. At this time last year, Eagle Ridge Academy had received 146 applications compared to the approximately 80 received this year; it was projecting a return of 268 students (which is nearly the entire population of 291 minus the graduating seniors); it had spots for 79 new students putting the enrollment projection at 347; and it had 67 applicants on the waitlist in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 with enrollment capped at 57 per grade which could have greatly mitigated the affects of attrition.

Such enrollment gains are to be expected of a school moving forward in the right direction, and it is obvious that Eagle Ridge Academy suffered great losses last year by failing to enroll these applicants. The board and administration have had nearly a year to recover and to restablish Eagle Ridge Academy's reputation; if they are doing their jobs, wouldn't we expect to see at least some growth in enrollment?

Update:

Ask and ye shall receive. No sooner did I ask if the board and administration were doing their jobs, when the answer came to me.

Eagle Ridge open enrollment ends Jan. 15

Submitted by Karla on January 12, 2009 - 7:00am.

There are currently openings in all levels for Eagle Ridge Academy. The open enrollment period ends Jan. 15. According to a news release, “Eagle Ridge Academy is the first public school in the southwest suburban area specifically dedicated to offering a demanding college preparatory, classical, liberal arts curriculum. The academy provides a learning opportunity that, up until now, has only been available at select private schools.”

For more information, call 952-746-7760 or visit www.eagleridgeacademy.org.

Apparently, the best effort the board and administration can muster to recoup enrollment is a press release three days before the end of open enrollment. Impressive work!