The decline can be attributed to a variety of factors from increasing homeschool and private school attendance, virtual school options and fewer apartment options for younger families in Lewisville, Gardiner said.
“Our seniors, the class of 2025 is 4,015 students, our kindergartners are 2,756 students and our first graders are 3,033,” Superintendent Lori Rapp said.
The details
The district has around 47,720 students enrolled for the 2024-25 school year. Projections expect a decline of about 600 students going into next year, according to Zonda Education data. In ten years projections indicate enrollment will level out around 44,400 students.
“I think Lewisville is probably as big as it's going to be right now,” Gardiner said.
Gardiner added that one reason districts like LISD are experiencing a decline amid the state's overall growth could be attributed to a 20,000 person increase in homeschool students statewide since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Going into 2023-24, charter schools gained 18,000 students across the state and public schools lost 6,000 students, Gardiner said.
Charter schools can also offer virtual and online education for students, an option that the Texas legislature removed for public schools, Rapp said.
“We would advocate that the legislature open that opportunity back up because we believe we have families that would choose a virtual option with LISD were it available,” she said.
Zooming in
The Texas housing market is the fastest-growing in the nation and the Dallas-Fort Worth area is leading the pack, Gardiner said. LISD is ranked 23 out of the top 25 school districts for annual real estate deal closings.
However, the district is down to just over 1,680 lots left for future development. Out of the 25 districts, Wylie ISD was the only district with a lower amount, meaning LISD could fall off the list in the coming years, Gardiner said.
Additionally, many Lewisville ISD-zoned families live in apartments, which have experienced a decline in occupancy in DFW from 89% last year to 87% this year, Gardiner said. Within the district there are 3,100 units under construction and another 7,900 planned for development, according to Zonda Education data.
“These new units being built are nice and normally above market rate and high-end. There are a lot more one bedroom units which means not as many students,” Gardiner said.
In Texas, there cannot be more than two occupants in a one bedroom apartment unless the third occupant is under the age of two, meaning the one bedroom apartments being built are not a viable option for families looking to LISD, board President Jenny Proznik said.
What else?
At the current state funding allotment of $6,160 per student, a loss of 3,000 students would equate to over $18 million in funding loss. The board adopted a $4.5 million budget shortfall for the fiscal year 2024-25. The enrollment decline was one factor that precipitated discussions on school closures.
“The more fragmented the public school system becomes, the less resources are able to be provided,” Rapp said.
