LOCS Superintendent Marion Ginopolis will regularly share thoughts and updates about district-related topics in The Review.

Lake Orion Community Schools prides itself as a destination district within the state of Michigan. Consistency emerges in the district’s steady enrollment numbers, information that was shared by LOCS Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Rick Arnett during his annual enrollment presentation to the Board of Education at the Nov. 20 meeting.

Arnett outlined the district’s growth, which is notable in a period of declining enrollment in surrounding districts. LOCS is attracting families with school-age children, especially at the lower grades, building the core of the district’s future success.

A few notable figures which are only focused on resident enrollment and do not include schools of choice enrollment:

Enrollment gains

• This is the fourth straight year of substantial student enrollment growth throughout the LOCS grade levels, providing a five-year average of an additional 51 students per year.

• The district gained 70 students from the 2018-19 school year to 2019-20. The largest group came in the Kindergarten and first-grade classes, reflecting the arrival of younger families.

• The full elementary total for the 2019-20 school year: an increase of 124 students, which featured 69 more Kindergarten students than the previous year.

Birth rate

• The capture rate is the number of students who enroll compared to the number of births in a year. The 2019-20 current Kindergarten-age class was born in 2014. LOCS “captured” 3.43 percent of the 13,454 Oakland County births from 2014, the district’s highest total since 2009.

• LOCS’ gains are noticeable when compared to the Oakland County birth rate. LOCS is “capturing” a higher percentage of students than the expected percentage in recent years.

School Growth

• LOCS has gained 44 elementary students (outside of the incoming Kindergarten groups) and 29 middle school students from 2018-19 to 2019-20. Those gains are spread among the buildings with four of the six elementary schools and all three middle schools growing.

In summary, based on the district data over the past 20 years, LOCS has long-term sustainability. The enrollment number remains generally consistent with gains over time.

For those interested in Arnett’s more detailed presentation, check out the Nov. 20, 2019 LOCS Board of Education meeting on orionontv.org.