Nailing Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s projected enrollment growth is a top priority for Superintendent Jim Chadwell.
He made that point clear during a recent presentation of the district’s demographics. The northwest Fort Worth school district is growing, albeit at a slower pace than expected, a demographer from Southlake-based Zonda Education told the school board.
“We’re basing our entire budget on it,” Chadwell said. “This year, it really, really hurt us. We’re now dealing with that right now, having additional cuts because the forecasting went one direction and now we’re having to go in a different direction.”
Chadwell questioned whether the district should be even more conservative in its growth than Zonda’s projections.
Bob Templeton, vice president at Zonda, was optimistic.
Housing is surging, he said. Nearly 2,200 homes started construction in the district this past year, according to Zonda. A year ago, that number was under 2,000.
Groundwork is underway on more than 2,500 lots in six subdivisions.
Templeton expects Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s enrollment to hit 24,110 in the 2024-25 school year — an increase of 659 students.
Still, Templeton told Chadwell he can provide an enrollment number that errs on the side of caution. On the low side, he sees the district growing between 450 and 500 students in the new school year.
The district added 358 students during the 2023-24 school year when enrollment was 23,451.
More students means additional funds from the state. Texas funds school districts based on the number of students who attend class every day.
Zonda plans to update its enrollment projection model after 2025, when the Texas Legislature is expected to reconsider a school voucher program, Templeton said.
Expanding private school choice through vouchers is among Gov. Greg Abbott’s top legislative priorities. He now appears to have enough votes to pass a voucher program when the Legislature meets in January.
School choice already impacted Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s enrollment, board President Paige Ring said.
“I think that’s why we’re surprised by some numbers this year,” she said.
Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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