All districts — As a statewide trend of enrollment decline impacts local districts, school leaders say balancing next school year’s budget hinges on student numbers.
Grand Rapids Public Schools is “continuing to face financial struggles,” due in large part to declining enrollment, said Rhonda Kribs, the district’s chief financial officer.
“We’re continuing to lose students,” she said, noting that the district is bracing for a 200-student drop in the upcoming school year from its 2025-26 enrollment of 13,437. “It’s not just in one building. It’s spread out across the whole district.”
The district’s $281 million budget for school year 2026-27 marks a $7 million decrease from last year; this follows a $16 million reduction prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year. Even with less spending, GRPS is still facing a $13.1 million deficit…