Enrollment at elementary, middle and high schools in the Palm Beach County School District is down by 649 students since the beginning of this school year, an October count conducted by the district shows.
A preliminary count on the 11th day of school alerted officials to a significant enrollment drop of thousands. The October count, one required by the state for budget purposes, not only reflected that deficit but also indicated more students had left in the time between counts.
The October count showed 158,541 students in district-operated elementary, middle and high schools, which is down by 6,094 from the year before. The big decline will mean less state funding and a budget shortfall of $40 million, district officials have said…