Terminated Teacher Contracts Showcase Declining Enrollment

The Hopkins school board approved terminating several teacher contracts Thursday night—the latest effect of declining enrollment.

The cuts have become an annual tradition. Historically, the district hires back about half the terminated teachers after staffing needs become more certain, said Nik Lightfoot, director of administrative services. But this year’s terminations are significant for the number of tenured teachers on the list, Lightfoot noted. Cuts have gotten so deep that tenured teachers outnumber probationary teachers eight to two.

Teachers receive tenure after three years. Probationary teachers have not yet received tenure and are the first to go when districts cut positions. The board also terminated 47 temporary contracts, which include additional work given to tenured teachers.

Declining enrollment is a persistent problem for Hopkins. In the fall of 2005, the district had 7,942 students. The district had 730 fewer students this fall. More worrisome for the long term, there were more than 600 12th-graders but just over 500 incoming kindergarteners—meaning students are graduating faster than they can be replaced.

That’s partly because population growth primarily occurred in outer-ring suburbs and city cores, according to Census data. Hopkins’ population dropped from in 2010, according to the American Community Survey.  Minnetonka and Golden Valley, which both have large numbers of students within Hopkins school district boundaries, also saw declines.

Low home prices have also persuaded people to stay in homes after their children have left the district, reversing a tradition of older couples moving out to make room for younger families with children. The drops would be even worse if Hopkins weren’t drawing several hundred students from outside its district boundaries through open enrollment.

The challenges aren't unique to Hopkins. School districts across the state have reported similar difficulties. Lightfoot said that at the last recruitment session he attended, many districts didn’t even show because they simply don’t have open positions.

“It’s just a different landscape,” he said.