The official count date for school enrollment is October 1st and administrators in the Newton School District expect to see another significant decline. Superintendent Tom Messenger says as of September 1st, enrollment appears to be down 51 students from the same time last year.

“We knew there was going to be a decline in enrollment. We are graduating bigger classes than are typically coming in. The kids that moved out of middle school last year are the last real big class we have. It’s sitting at over 225 kids. After that we have a couple of classes that drop down into the 177 to 190 range.”

The enrollment decline means a significant drop in state aid to the Newton School District. Superintendent Messenger says the District gets over $7,500 per student for the general fund, while each special education student draws additional  state dollars. The Newton School District’s long term declining enrollment trend is why the School Board voted to transition from four to two elementary buildings, beginning in the fall of 2026.