Headcount enrollment is down 72 students from last year’s Sept. 20 headcount, Superintendent Dr. Ron Ballard told the Arkansas City Public Schools board of education Monday night. But the decrease in headcount is offset by an increase in weighted enrollment in areas such as vocational, at-risk and bilingual, making the dip in enrollment a wash.

Dr. Ballard explained the three categories of enrollment: headcount, full-time equivalency (FTE) and weighted. He said more students are participating in vocational classes, which leads to an increase in state funding. The district also received an increase in funding for at-risk and bilingual weighting in the funding package approved by the legislature in July.

School districts’ funding is based on the number of FTE enrollment. Weighted enrollment areas provide additional funding for specific categories of students, but that funding must be used in those areas as opposed to the general budget.

The district has experienced a decrease in enrollment for the past three years, but this hadn’t affected the budget yet. Districts are allowed to use a three-year average in enrollment for funding purposes. This year is the last year USD 470 will be able to use the three-year average, so the declining enrollment won’t affect the district until next year. But if enrollment in weighted areas continues to increase, it could help offset decreases in headcount enrollment.

The district also was able to receive state funding fore an additional 39 four-year-old preschool program students, which are funded at 0.5 because they only attend half a day. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jan Voss pointed out that the high school is retaining more students in the past, meaning the drop out rate has decreased and the graduate rate has increased. She said Arkansas City High School’s graduation rate is now at the state average, which wasn’t the case a few years ago.

Dr. Voss also said classes sizes are remaining small. Small class sizes give teachers the opportunity to build better relationships with students, and in turn, increase student achievement, she said.

Dr. Ballard said surrounding school districts’ enrollments are declining more than USD 470’s.

“Our enrollment is good,” he said. “This is a good educational and economic sign. Our academic achievement has brought some (new) people to our district.”