Benicia Unified School District’s student enrollment for the 2017-18 school year is smaller than initially anticipated. Chief Business Official Tim Rahill will discuss the current enrollment numbers at Thursday’s school board meeting.

At a meeting in February, Rahill noted that prior to the 2016-17 school year, BUSD had five to eight years of stable enrollment but had decreased by 100 students in the 2016-17 year. The district was expected to have 90 fewer students in the 2017-18 year, but when school started in August, there were actually 106 fewer students, consisting of 78 fewer at the middle and high school levels and 28 at the elementary level.

There were some areas of slight growth. At the transitional kindergarten level, five more students were enrolled than the previous year and the district’s initial projections for the current year. There was also an increase among first-graders, a very slight increase among eighth-graders and a large increase among 10th-graders.

The district administration team, comprised of directors and site principals, will continue to go over student enrollment and make adjustments for the current and future school years. Rahill will also continue to provide enrollment figures during each budget presentation to the board.

In other business, Special Services Director Dr. Carolyn Patton will read a proclamation recognizing September as Suicide Awareness Month, Technology Director Sebastiano Padoan will deliver a report on the status of technology in the district, and Superintendent Dr. Charles Young will highlight the new Career Technology Education programs at Benicia High School.

The board will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 7 in the Benicia Unified School District Board Room at the district building on 350 East K Street. There will be an earlier closed session at 6 p.m.

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