Vicksburg Community Schools will likely have to make a budget adjustment, as potential enrollment for the 2026-27 academic year is lower than anticipated.
Assistant Superintendent Steve Goss shared details during the board of education’s monthly meeting Sept. 14.
“We are looking at a pretty sizable reduction in enrollment,” Goss told board members. “When I prepared the (2026-27) budget, I was a little bit optimistic, perhaps, and had budgeted for a reduction of around 20 (students) … but I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re down 80 to 85 on a blended-count basis.”
Goss said that translates to a loss of approximately 65 more students than what was projected. While Goss did not advise the board to hit the proverbial panic button, he said the matter will be up for discussion as the school year unfolds.
“I think it’s fair to say we’ll be talking a lot more about the budget going forward because that’s just something that we’re going to have to address,” Goss noted.
Preliminary enrollment for the 2026-27 academic year is 2,432 students.
Superintendent Keevin O’Neill said during the meeting that the district’s lower enrollment is especially acute at the elementary level.
“Our high school and middle school enrollments are as high as they’ve been in a few years, but we are right on a path with the trend that’s going on across the state, as well as nationally in terms of declining enrollment,” he said.
With the state’s 2026-27 funding rate at $10,300 per student, the underestimate results in a shortfall of more than $600,000.
The first Count Day of the current school year is Oct. 7. The district will establish its official enrollment number based on the student count that day and the second Count Day, which takes place in February.
During a post-meeting interview, Goss reiterated that the district’s count is not final until the Oct. 7 count date.
“There’s about another one-month period then to nail down the enrollment in our Pathways (alternative education) program,” Goss said. “Typically, it doesn’t change a lot but it doesn’t become official until after that period.”
Meanwhile, O’Neill added that administration has been preparing the board for an anticipated decline for more than a year.
“I’ve actually explained to the board from the state of Michigan’s standpoint, the (statewide) enrollment drop over the last three years has been averaging close to 12,000 to 15,000 less per year, and we’re not immune to that,” O’Neill said. “We’ve been preparing for enrollment drops, so the news really isn’t alarming, it definitely was something we anticipated. Would it be a little lower than we thought? Yes. But it’s not like, ‘Whoa! Oh, my gosh!’”
O’Neill said regardless of student enrollment, the district’s goal remains unchanged.
“The excellent service that we provide to our students and support of our staff … those priorities remain the same,” he added.
Vicksburg Community Schools Five-Year Enrollment
- 2026-27 … 2,432 (preliminary)
- 2025-26 … 2,509
- 2024-25 … 2,560
- 2023-24 … 2,699
- 2022-23 … 2,677
In other news from the Sept. 14 meeting, Goss announced Kim Swailes was hired to serve as the district’s controller in its finance department. She replaces business manager Rebecca Durant, who retired over the summer following 14 years of service to the district.
Swailes is relocating to the area from the Upper Peninsula.
Also, the board agreed to raise its mileage rate to the current I.R.S. standard, which is 76 cents per mile. Goss said the district has some employees who travel between schools, warranting the reimbursement.
