During the 2017-2018 school year there were 6,213 students enrolled in Grand Haven Area Public Schools. That number dropped to 5,547 during the 2021-2022 school year and is projected to continue to decrease to 5,070 in 2026-2027.
Here’s a more detailed chart showing predictions for the upcoming five years.
GHAPS administrators believe the predicted decrease is due to a declining birth rate coupled with a lack of affordable housing.
However, during the April 22, 2022 board retreat, GHAPS administrators noted that children who live within the district are increasingly attending schools other than GHAPS. These children are being sent to other public school districts which they refer to as LEA – Local Education Agency and religious schools or charter schools which they refer to as PSA – Public School Academy. Meanwhile, the number of children who live in other school districts but elect to attend GHAPS is declining. The following chart shows to which specific schools parents are electing to send their children.
This chart shows the historic trend of how the number of Grand Haven resident students enrolled elsewhere is increasing, meanwhile, the number of non-resident students enrolled in GHAPS is decreasing. In other words, the gap between the two curves is widening signifying the number of students enrolled in GHAPS will continue to decline.
Grand Haven Area Public Schools receives $8,700 for each student enrolled. During the 2021-2022 school year GHAPS lost 291 students to charter and religious schools and 167 students to other public school districts. That is a total loss of 458 students. 458 students at $8,700 per student is a total loss of $3,984,600.
GHAPS leadership believes an advertising campaign will help to create a positive image and reduce the enrollment decline. Have you seen the billboards, and promoted Facebook advertisements? (By the way, this image looks awkward because the student is holding the flute backwards. The graphic designer likely flipped the image in order to fit the text onto the graphic.)
Parents have been speaking at school board meetings for over a year requesting leadership consider individual rights with respect to creating COVID policies, consider age appropriateness with respect to offering books to their children in school libraries, and refrain from teaching ideologies and instead follow board policy and consider all sides when discussing controversial topics with students. Perhaps these are contributing reasons to why GHAPS enrollment is declining.