Public schools losing students to other options

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

Declining attendance figures could have an impact on the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District since state funding is based on the district’s enrollment.

Exact enrollment figures have not been shared by the elementary district despite repeated requests by the Village News. The district was one of the first in the county to re-open its schools this spring and has been proactive with efforts to keep students safe from COVID-19.

However, there seem to be an influx of parents looking for alternatives to public schools, evidenced by enrollment increases at nearby charter and private schools. For example, students from the FUESD number 172 at Classical Academy, based in Escondido. There are also 58 from the Fallbrook Union High School District.

Likewise, attendance at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School in Fallbrook increased by more than 60 this year, its most substantial jump in enrollment in recent years.

While the public high school attendance has remained constant the past several years, it seems the high school district may be missing out on potential growth.

“We usually only send 2-3 of our eighth-grade graduates to Fallbrook High,” said Shawna Taitano, principal. “This past year we sent none.” Instead, most go on to Mission Vista High School in Oceanside (Vista Unified School District) or Catholic high schools in Temecula or Del Mar, she said.

The Catholic school’s enrollment has constantly been 160 to 165 students in grades K-8. However, this year it jumped to 226.

“Parents have increased concerns about public schools that do not align with their beliefs, including issues such as Critical Race Theory, sex ed, the transgender movement and more,” Taitano said. “I still get calls everyday from parents wanting other options. Unfortunately, nearly all our classes are full.”

“It’s all about alternatives for families. Parents seem disenchanted with how Fallbrook High handled COVID-19,” she added. “We were able to stay open last school year, following mask protocols.”

She said the primary reason the school stayed open was their small class sizes — averaging 18 students per teacher. “It allows us to better handle each child,” Taitano explained, “as well as COVID safety.”

Taitano said about 60% of the families at the school are Catholic, and almost all are Christian. Students or parents don’t have to have a faith in God, but students are required to attend mass and have Bible classes.

“We teach that we’re all children of God and CRT isn’t an issue here,” she said. “We welcome diversity.”

Many parents are concerned Critical Race Theory will seep into the public schools. The state Legislature has passed a bill – awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature — that would require high school students in the state to pass a semester of Ethnic Studies to graduate.

There are several other private schools in Fallbrook that seem to be growing, including Zion Christian School and Alpha and Omega Academy.

Andrea Estrada, a teacher at Alpha and Omega Academy, said the school closed to in-person sessions last year, but later met as a school camp, outside only, 4 days a week and 4 hours a day. It returned to in-person classes in August, keeping health guidelines.

“The classrooms have good air filters, and we still meet only 8-12 with no P.E. or lunch,” she said, with students coming from as far away as Pala and Temecula. Alpha and Omega has about 50 students in grades K-12.

Estrada said she has found parents looking more for alternative schools and suggested Great Oak High School (public) in Temecula, Rancho Christian School in Temecula, as well as schools in Vista. Another option is Eagles Peak Charter School in Temecula.

Cameron Curry, CEO of Classical Academy, said that entering a second year of this pandemic, enrollment continues to increase at the charter school.

“We have been told by so many parents that we are able to meet their student's personalized academic needs while also valuing their social and emotional needs during this disruption we have all experienced” he said. “Our waiting list and interest in what we are accomplishing for students continues to grow.”

“Masks are happening, and CRT is not,” he said, referring to Critical Race Theory. “People are really coming because they feel our care and concern. We personalize and take care of people individually. We are not a one size fits all approach – and that is not something the districts understand or follow when it comes to service or academics.”

Looking closer at enrollment at the two public Fallbrook districts, the Fallbrook Union High School District’s Superintendent Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez shared that the attendance was 2,133 on Sept. 10.

“Our enrollment remains stable,” she said. “The CBEDS date for this year is Oct. 6, 2021. That is when enrollment will be confirmed for ADA purposes.”

Garza-Gonzalez said the district’s enrollment in recent years was 2,027 for 2020-2021, 2,156 for 2019-2020, 2,154 for 2018-2019, and 2,077 for 2017-2018. (For ADA purposes, funding last year was allocated based on the enrollment for 2019-2020.)

Average Daily Attendance is the basis of a lot of school funding in California. A school loses approximately $85 per day for every student absent.

Fallbrook High School, officially Fallbrook Union High School, was started in 1893 and is the second oldest public high school in the county.

Figures for the Fallbrook Elementary School District were not provided by the district, but according to the FUESD’s COVID-19 web page, there are 4,345 students at in-school locations. A school spokesman previously said there are about 100 parents who have opted to have their students go to online classes through the Fallbrook Virtual Academy, the district’s alternative to in-classroom learning.

Add those students to the 4,345 students and enrollment would be about 4,450.

The web page ed-data.org shows a history of the Fallbrook Union Elementary District having more than 5,000 students in most recent years. Those Census Day enrollment figures:

• 5,056 in 2015-2016

• 5,006 in 2016-2017

• 4,864 in 2017-2018

• 5,083 in 2018-2019

• 5,278 in 2019-2020

Other online information reveals a 24:1 student/teacher ratio in the FUESD, compared to the state average of 23:1.

The district did not reply to questions about what impact having 500 fewer students would have on finances.

The 2019 U.S. Census for Fallbrook sheds some light on how population rates may impact school enrollment. It shows there were 2,347 individuals under the age of 5, significantly higher than any other five-year age group other than ages 20-24 (2,552).

Population for ages 5-9 was 1,769, and for ages 10-14 it was 1,990. For students 15-19, the population was 2,164.

Since that was taken two years ago, it indicates there are more students entering the younger grade levels, but a smaller class entering junior high and high school grades.

The bottom line: The school districts don’t seem to be on a growth track and more parents seem to be looking for alternatives to the public schools.