Task Force: Enrollment Challenges at Roger's High School

The School Capacity and Utilization Task Force members met Thursday, February 22, at the Kessler Center for our second group strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) discussion, focusing now on Region 2. Despite the lesser immediate enrollment concerns compared to Region 1 and 3, projections indicate that Rogers High School will likely surpass its total capacity (including built and portable classrooms) in 2025-26, as revealed in January's projections.

As part of their role as an advisory task force to the Board of Directors, SCUT members were assigned to consider several factors.

• Insights from the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee and Capital Facilities Plan
• Current enrollment projections and demographic reports
• School boundary analysis
• Building capacity analysis, including potential school facility expansion (including portables)
• Location of district-wide programs
• Residential housing developments beyond the district boundary could impact district facilities.
• Management of student transfers/waivers
• Alternative housing strategies (e.g., scheduling)
• Alternative grade configuration delivery models
• Transportation cost analysis
• Equipment and technology needs
• Budget analysis (both capital and general funds)
• External factors analysis (e.g., economic climate)
• Community resources and alternative housing options
• Building condition analysis and future sustainability

During Thursday's discussion, Task Force members narrowed the focus to five potential tools for in-depth exploration regarding their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for students, and threats to students, aiming to narrow down the options to manage projection enrollment increases at Rogers High School.  The task force spent most of the evening discussing building utilization rates and waiver management. They will continue the Region 2 discussion in March to better understand the advantages and challenges of hybrid learning, boundary changes, and program management in Region 2. The SWOT exercise proved instrumental in shedding light on each proposed solution's positive and negative impacts, enabling a deeper understanding of their potential effects on students, staff, resources, and school infrastructure.

The Task Force focused on Rogers' classroom utilization rate, recognizing that for each percent change in the utilization rate, Rogers could serve approximately 30 additional students per period.

For example:

• Projected enrollment through 2024-25 is expected to be served with 83% classroom utilization.
   
• By 2025-26, enrollment is projected to exceed capacity by 37 students. We only need to use 85% of the classroom capacity to achieve this goal.
   
• In the following year, 2026-27, enrollment is projected to exceed capacity by 66 students. A classroom utilization rate of 87% would address this projected enrollment growth.

However, historical data indicates similar challenges. In the 1999-2000 school year, before the opening of Emerald Ridge High School, Rogers High School accommodated 2,200 students. Similarly, in 2010-11, enrollment stood at 1,844. In both instances, enrollment exceeded capacity, prompting adjustments in student accommodation strategies.

As the task force moves forward, it is essential to continue exploring innovative solutions while considering the long-term implications for the school community. Collaboration, thorough assessment of alternative strategies, and careful planning will be paramount in ensuring the effective management of enrollment growth and the preservation of quality education at Rogers High School. Through proactive measures and informed decision-making, the SCUT members remain committed to supporting the Board of Directors in addressing the evolving needs of Region 2 and securing a sustainable future for the district's educational infrastructure.

The task force will meet again on March 14 to begin discussing and prioritizing recommendations for Region 3.

To learn more about the SCUT, visit our website at http://www.puyallupsd.org/SCUT.