Montgomery County School District Sees Lower Kindergarten Enrollment
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (CBS) - At least one local school district is finding out that the number of incoming kindergarteners is down. Officials wonder if the housing crisis is to blame.
At this point, there will be one less kindergarten class, or 20 students, in the Colonial School District in Montgomery County, according to assistant superintendent Dr. MaryEllen Gorodetzer.
"That particular elementary typically had higher enrollments over a long period of time," Dr. Gorodetzer said.
She says enrollment has been consistent and officials wonder if the change is because houses are not being sold so new young families aren't moving into the district.
Dr. Forrest Huffman a professor of real estate at Temple University says it is possible.
"Births and migrating make up most of the population changes, so assuming that people are still having children it's a migration problem and they may not be migrating into these school districts as they once did," Dr. Huffman said.
He suggests school districts market themselves better or just wait until the housing market improves.
Reported by Lynne Adkins KYW Newsradio
