Santa Barbara Junior High School Principal Daniel Dupont remembers when the numbers began to drop. But he has also seen them begin to creep back up. “I am exceedingly proud that enrollment has continued to grow while I have been principal,” he told the Independent. “As of this morning, we are slated to have nearly 570 students next year; that’s great growth.”
Dupont proactive outreach to feeder elementary schools and what he calls the “Condor Advantage”: strong teaching staff, unique learning support periods, and a close partnership with Santa Barbara High School.
Despite these actions, the light at the end of the tunnel is not as bright as it seems. Context: Back in 2017, Santa Barbara Junior High had 759 students. This year, it has 502. The coming gain is hopeful, but still far from recovery.
In most California districts, enrollment decline means a direct hit to budgets because schools receive funding based on average daily attendance. But Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) is community-funded, meaning the majority of its revenue comes from local property taxes rather than per-student state funding. In other words, the district isn’t in immediate financial peril from shrinking numbers. The significance is different — it’s about shifting demographics, uneven enrollment, and campus-level imbalances…