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Cleveland American
Enrollment Down Slightly, But Optimism Still High
By Brandi Ball
Associate Editor
As data shows a decline in
overall student enrollment for
Cleveland Public Schools, the
administration says it still is en-
couraged by the numbers when
examined on a deeper level.
CPS Superintendent Aaron
Espolt said class sizes play a big
role in the comprehensive num-
ber, and those are on a natural
roller-coaster. For instance, this
year’s senior class sits at 96 in
September, but the junior (120),
sophomore (161) and freshmen
(143) classes are substantially
higher.
The most important data set
to Espolt, he says, is not year-
to-year at the same grade level,
but the retention number within
the same grade. When looking
at the retention or “cohort gain/
loss” on the enrollment chart, it
shows CPS as a whole is down
just 36 students this year com-
pared to last.
In the chart provided within
this story, the cohort gain/loss
shows the grades with the most
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and sixth grade and the senior
class.
In breaking it down further
– the 2017 senior class to the
2018 senior class is a differ-
ence of 33 students. But, Espolt
said, that’s comparing apples to
oranges. Where the real infor-
mation lies is how many 2017
juniors (112) didn’t stay with
CPS and enroll their senior year
(96). That is a difference of 16.
When you add up foreign ex-
change students who won’t be
back and the average six kids
per year in each grade who may
move because of their parents
get job transfers or because of
athletics, that leaves a single-
digit difference, Espolt said.
And then there is the virtual
process through EPIC Charter
Proprietàdi OPS News Tracker e membri di Oklahoma Press Association.
Schools, which allows students
to complete curriculum toward
graduation in a non-traditional
setting. It is free and has no re-
quired time limit a student has
to devote to instruction on the
computer each day, according
to its own website. Cleveland
loses more students to EPIC
than any other school, accord-
ing to the administration. Espolt
points out that while some stu-
dents at each of the four schools
transfer to EPIC each year,
CPS likely will get most back.
According to Espolt, EPIC’s
graduation rate is only about 26
percent, but it only has existed
a handful of years, while Cleve-
land’s graduation rate varies be-
tween 96-98 percent.
“I’m not against EPIC and
I’m not against choice,” Es-
polt said. “I do believe that
there should be options for
parents, and there are times
when EPIC may be the best op-
tion for illness, home bound,
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etc. However, I would put up ‘18-’19 ‘17-’18 +/- +/-
our CPAC, or support-based
virtual options, as compari-
son points anytime. Parent
choice is something I believe
in strongly. I just believe that
in many cases that we are the
best option. And if we are not
the best option, many times if
the parent will work with us,
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works for the student to be the
most successful possible.
“Traditional schooling is
now a hybrid of many differ-
ent instructional methods and
opportunities. While the ac-
countability and outcomes do
not change for our students,
the method in which the stu-
dent reaches those needs to
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selves of meeting the needs
of our students and that can
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Cleveland American
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Espolt said he is especially
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pace thorough a virtual system
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the board of education, Espolt
explained Cleveland received
more money from the state this
year, but that increase is all tied
to teacher salaries.
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hires to reduce classroom siz-
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es small, which ends up cost-
ing us more money, but we feel
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Espolt said that when he was
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nity survey showed citizens
wanted the district to focus on
classroom size.
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