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Schools

Schwartz: Richfield High School Enrollment Numbers Down

Richfield Public Schools District Business Manager, Michael Schwartz, gives enrollment and diversity report Monday night.

While the most recent enrollment reports revealed that the Richfield Public School District has made significant gains in attendance among its and elementary school students over the past year, it has also lost students at the , according to Michael Schwartz, business manager for the district.

With 4,282 total students currently enrolled in the district, all the city’s elementary schools saw an additional 165 students and saw an additional 29 students enrolled as of Oct. 1, 2011. currently has 28 fewer students enrolled than it did near the beginning of 2010.

In addition, the city continues to see increasing diversity in its public schools, with the percentage of students who qualify as ‘diversity’ students increasing to just over 68 percent in 2011. In 2006 diversity students made up approximately 58 percent of the city’s school population.

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Another challenge for the schools remains that 33 percent of its student body is classified as LEP—or limited English proficiency—students. Board member pointed out that such a large percentage of students with limited or no English skills made learning—and teaching—more difficult.

In other news, aside from routine business the school board found time to joke about . While this year, Toensing failed to win re-election at the polls in November 2011. Both are coming to the end of their four year terms, with the board's next meeting being their last.

Find out what's happening in Richfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Flood asked board members whether they all might take a few minutes at the next meeting to reflect on both outgoing board members' service.

“You decide what you want to say and we’ll vote on it,” joked board member .

The next board meeting is at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Richfield Public Schools District Offices.

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