October 1st is the deadline for school districts to use for their enrollment counts that determine per-pupil funding in the next fiscal year.

Pella Schools Superintendent Greg Ebeling says with dozens of students in K-12 opting for homeschooling, that has the district approximately 50 students behind where they were in 2019-20.

Ebeling says in the short-term, districts who have a drop in enrollment for one year are given a budget guarantee, which is 101% of the prior year’s budget in the funding formula to soften the loss in enrollment, of which Ebeling expects may only last a year as COVID-19 restrictions and concerns are likely to become less of an issue in the 2021-22 cycle.

Hear more about Pella Schools on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.