Fewer Students, But They're
Ahead of the Curve

Enrollment is continuing it downward spiral at local K-12 schools, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. That’s according to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, which just released its “Annual Education Report” for 2005.

The report also notes that academic levels for SLO County K-12 students are much higher than the state average. Here’s a brief breakdown of the highlights of the report:

• There were 968 fewer K-12 students in 2004 than in 2001. This trend is expected to continue for the next five years, most likely longer. Two primary reasons have been cited for this decline: the decreasing number of births to SLO County residents and the high cost of housing. The SLO County demographic profile indicates a median age of 38 years, which is projected to increase as housing becomes more expensive.
• SLO County’s Academic Performance Index (API) is well above the State average. The API is a numeric indicator of a school’s performance level, ranging from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. The SLO County API average is 768, with the State’s average at 768. Two local districts, Cayucos Elementary and San Luis Coastal, have exceeded the State’s API target of 800, with scores of 868 and 816 respectively.
• SLO County K-12 students are predominately white, with a 65% majority as compared to the state-wide percentage of 33%. The largest ethnic minority is Hispanic at 26% as compared to the State with 46%.

For the complete report, contact the County Office of Education at 543-7732.