Declining enrollment in the Arlington School District, combined with reduced state funding for education, has hit the district's budget hard, said Superintendent Kristine McDuffy at her State of the District address in late January. Nevertheless, she assured an audience of about 75 people that teachers and staff members are committed to clarity, effective strategic planning and a focused attention on student achievement.

The meeting was held January 28 in the Post Middle School library.

McDuffy talked about a few of the district's achievements, including improved WASL results, a 5 percent reduction in the dropout rate, and increased certification accomplishments by district teachers.

Despite improvements in test scores, some Arlington schools were still tagged as failing to meet "Adequate Yearly Progress."

"Schools and districts can be making progress but still not meet federal benchmarks as established by No Child Left Behind," McDuffy explained. "Like most other districts in our state, we did not meet federal benchmarks for certain populations last year, primarily for special education and low income students in mathematics."

Not surprisingly, state funding cuts are the biggest concern for the district. Last school year, the Arlington School Board had to make $3.8 million in budget cuts, with nearly $3 million of that figure coming in the form of staff reductions. According to preliminary projections for the 2010-2011 school year, the district may be facing an additional $2.4 million deficit.

The district's declining enrollment compounds the problem of lagging revenue for school funding. Projections for the coming school year estimate 5,160 students, but the district may base its budget on a more conservative 5,100 enrollment figure. Currently, the district serves 5,199 K-12 students.

Fewer kids in classrooms highlights another problem for the district: excess capacity. Its five elementary schools -- Presidents, Pioneer, Eagle Creek, Kent Prairie and Trafton -- currently serve 2,048 students, but the school buildings were built to house 2,724.

Trafton Elementary, the oldest school in the district, is in dire need of structural repairs. The historic school on Jim Creek Road is the school of choice for about 135 students, all of whom could easily be served by the other four elementary schools. In fact, McDuffy shared that 23 classrooms are currently available in the newer schools.

Parents of Trafton students worry that could mean closure of the old school, but according to district spokesperson Misti Gilman, "a decision on that is not even close."

The School Board should get firm budget numbers from the state in late spring, which will help guide the district's decisions about facilities and needs. The budget for the 2010-2011 school year will be adopted in August, 2010.