By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Student count day is set to take place on Wednesday, Sept. 26, but Niles Community Schools Superintendent Doug Law knows enrollment is down more than usual in the elementary schools.
"We're pretty concerned about elementary enrollment. The high school and middle schools are up, but we've lost around 60 students on the elementary level," Law said Friday afternoon.
This is one of the topics that will be discussed at Monday night's Board of Educations meeting.
"We've gotten some data on where these kids are moving to and around 40 of them moved out of the state, with 27 going to South Bend and we are trying to figure out why this is happening," he said.
Law said data showed that most all of the families that moved previously lived within the city limits.
"We're not sure what it all means just yet, but we are going to continue to watch it very closely. Obviously a decrease in elementary students could have long term effects on the school district," he added.
Law also added that in the closed meeting motion, the sale or purchase of a piece of property in the next few months will be discussed, but he could not give out any further information as to where the property was or what it was for.
Other items on the agenda will include new teacher contracts for nine teachers. They include Joshua Bourne, Rikki Jones and Aaron Shinn (Ring Lardner); Lori Brawley (Howard); Martha Geegan (James-Ellis); Laura Dierlam (Eastside); and Jeff deVarona and Michael Noguera (senior high).
Also, the board will need to certify the number of mills to be levied for the 2007-08 school year, now that the results from the August non-homestead election have been verified by the County Election Commission. The operating millage and Building and Site Fund millage were discussed during the budget hearing in June. The Board will authorize a maximum total levy of 18 mills on non-homestead property for operating purposes for 2007-08.