TUCSON, Ariz. — Tucson Unified School District reported Tuesday it has taken a huge hit in student enrollment.
Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said the district has lost 2,500 students, which is a 5.7 % drop. That translates into a loss of millions of dollars.
It's known as the 40-day drop. That's the number of students who leave the district by the 40th day.
This year, it was October 5.
The district reported just over 2,000 students dropped out of TUSD, a loss of at least $15 million.
But Superintendent Trujillo said at a meeting of the district's governing board, students continued to leave.
In the six days following the 40th school day, the district lost an average of 35 students a day.
Right now, Trujillo says the count stands at 2,500 students, a loss of another 1%.
That could be a $20 million hit to the district's finances.
Trujillo says the federal enrollment grant designed to help districts weather the financial storm during the pandemic doesn't cover any losses beyond the 40th day.
So if students continue to leave the district has the absorb the losses.
Trujillo says if that happens it could mean deep cuts and reductions going into the next school year.
