Enrollment surge may mean Al Tahoe reopens
By Kathryn Reed
Enrollment in Lake Tahoe Unified School District is escalating to the point that officials are wondering if Al Tahoe Elementary School might need to be reopened.
The South Lake Tahoe school closed starting with the 2004-05 school year because of budget deficits and declining enrollment.
There are currently 3,988 students in the district, which is 100 more students than a year ago. The district had 4,544 students in September 2005. The numbers peaked in 1996-97 at 5,978 students.
The biggest growth continues to be at the high school. In 2014-15 there were 911 kids at South Tahoe High School and now there are 1,088.
“They like the career piece push,” Superintendent Jim Tarwater said of why parents want to enroll their kids at STHS.
Between the $64 million facilities bond approved by local voters and more than $30 million in matching funds from the state, the district in the last few years has had a bit of a renaissance. The bulk of the money revamped STHS. With the buildings came a slew of programs.
South Tahoe Middle School has seen enrollment go from 745 students to 830.
The elementary schools are also seeing more students.
“It’s why you never get rid of a school,” Tarwater told Lake Tahoe News.
While the district has good enrollment numbers, it would like to see the attendance figures increase. Ninety-five percent is the goal. It’s at about 93.7 percent.
The district loses $60 a day per student when they are not in school.
Today the Al Tahoe site is used mostly by the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club. Before it could be put back into service as an elementary school Tarwater said it needs a new boiler and flooring.
The state owes the district $1.4 million for improvements made to STMS. When the reimbursement comes the district could use it for Al Tahoe.
A state school bond is expected to be on the November 2016 ballot. That is where the state would get the money to pay back LTUSD.
Where is the Al Tahoe Elementary school located?
It’s located at the intersection of Lyons ave and Rufus Allen blvd next to the SLT baseball fields
Let’s take this opportunity to develop a charter school.
The district focus on one-size-fits-all educations with a heavy emphasis on basic skills and testing does not prepare our kids for the good jobs of the future. Jobs will demand continuous innovation, flexibility, resourcefulness, teamwork and a passion for continuous education. Americans need, more than ever, the ability to sort fact from fiction, enough knowledge of history to understand where the spread of misinformation can lead, and enough experience in the arts to be an effective, resourceful problems-solvers.
Who’s up for leading this charge?
You must be new here. There have been several charter attempts which failed for one reason or another. Because something is a charter school does not make it a good idea.
All the money spent and new programs at the high school answer most of your issues.
The catholic school fell on hard times due to lack of enrollment.
Basically , the community is too small and below average in family income levels.
Hard to justify charter schools expenses when you are having trouble keeping a roof over your head and food on the table.
If you really want a charter school, go to Carson or Reno or some off the hill California City.
Kae, how could the elementary schools see an increase when over the last year the district saw a 100 increase, with the high school seeing a 177 increase. Wouldnt the elementary schools have seen a decrease, esp since the middle school saw a 85 student increase?
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Cranky!…I agree with you!! UNBELIEVABLE:)
Cranky –
Just to clarify – charter schools are different than private schools. They are independently run public schools, and thus tuition free.
Not that I need to justify anything to anyone out there, but my son has had a great education here in SLT so far and has excelled and has developed great thinking skills, he has developed friendships with teachers who have given him opportunities beyond the classroom. He knows that his future will be filled with learning inside and outside the school system. There are teachers and staff who have dedicated hours beyond those covered by their contracts who are advocates for all the kids. The finger pointers out there who are always finding fault are ignorant and hateful, as usual…
reloman –
Maybe Tarwateer will give us the Common Core math explanation behind his numbers.
Often in life, theory does not match reality. For instance, in theory politicians spend the taxpayer’s money wisely, because if they don’t, they will not be re-elected. Most charter schools end up with parents being pressured to donate money for portions of their operations, but in theory they are tuition free. There is always more to life than simplistic answers. Just as in physics, there is an equal and opposite reaction to every action.
He said open a charter school! Bahahaha! Yeah, who’s gonna lead the charge? I vote for the trailer trash meth mom!
This community doesn’t have enough high school graduates to even attempt something like that. Hilarious.
I raised four boys in this community. Three of which have already graduated the high school and two will be graduating college this year. One is still in middle school. I consider myself “in the know” on this subject. I love our schools and think we are so privelaged to live in a place where we have dedicated teachers and lovely facilities. I was so sad to see Al Tahoe close back in the day. I would be thrilled to see it open again and have fewer kids filling every elementary school.
Liberooze-Brian Kilmeade of foxNfriends says you stole his ‘stoopid’ and are using it w/o permission-what say you?
http://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2015/12/10-brian-kilmeade-cant-remember-his-most-embarrass/207416
Public Education faces non-stop attacks from the right because they want to privatize it-demonizing teacher’s Unions and pushing anti-science nonsense, promoting religious nuttery and exclusion and cutting budgets to induce failure is their game plan-we must fight back
http://www.feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-education/
Okay, so does anyone care about WHERE the Boys & Girls Club would end up? WTH?
They provide a HUGE service of afters-chool and vacation educational programs, homework help and mentoring for the kids and for our Tahoe working families… to screw them would hurt the Tahoe workforce big-time!
Tea total, well said
Subee, dont get your panties in such a wad.Im sure the boys and girls club will be just fine, who knows, maybe they will end up across the street at the city rec center, which might be a better facility anyway.
Al Tahoe was a great school when my kids went through in the 80’s/90’s. The diversity in the school was a huge plus. Nothing but good things to say about their time there.