Palo Alto schools search for ways to curb enrollment declines

Faced with consistently declining enrollment in recent years, the Palo Alto Unified School District is looking at potential ways to address its shrinking student population without closing schools, which district officials say is the last resort but a possibility if action isn’t taken, Palo Alto Online reported.

District trustees heard from an ad hoc committee this week that was tasked with preparing a list of options to tackle enrollment declines. District Superintendent Don Austin told the board that there were three options he believed to be at the top of the list and should be considered more immediately, according to Palo Alto Online.

They are: allowing Palo Alto city employees to enroll their children in the district.; lowering the required number of hours that a district employee must work for their children to be eligible to attend a Palo Alto school; and creating an early enrollment deadline after which families may not be assigned to their neighborhood school.

Austin said he expects the board to consider the options soon.