Preliminary Counts Show Grand Traverse Area Enrollment Down

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Preliminary figures show school enrollment has declined in parts of northern Michigan's Grand Traverse County area.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports Sunday that the attendance count in the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District is down about 1.7 percent compared to last year.

Assistant superintendent for general and career and technical education Jason Jeffrey says fewer students squeeze district finances. Public school districts in Michigan receive state funding for each student enrolled. Jeffrey says "each student equates to approximately $7,000 in aid."

The newspaper also reports that Traverse City Area Public Schools is considering shuttering buildings with fewer than 200 students. District human resources director Chris Davis says this year's enrollment decrease is just over 1 percent.

Davis says the number of school-aged children in the region is decreasing.