An important part of long-range facilities assessment and planning is factoring in a comprehensive population and enrollment analysis. In fall 2022, the West Bend School District received a detailed enrollment and population report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Applied Population Laboratory called Planning for the Schools of Tomorrow.

Read the report: Planning for the Schools of Tomorrow. 

The report uses past enrollment, current and projected births, and overall trends in population and housing to make projections on future student enrollment. Highlights include: 

• The report examines current and projected births and overall trends in population and housing to make projections on future student enrollment.
• From 2004 to 2011, the number of births in the West Bend School District attendance area decreased from a high of 667 in 2007 to 595 in 2011. 
• The decline continued, with 540 births in 2017; 534 in 2018; 553 in 2019; and 474 in 2020. 
• From 2010-2020, the number of people in the municipalities within the West Bend School District attendance area ages 0-19 decreased by an estimated 1,831, and people age 65 and over increased by 2,573 residents.
• There was an average of 90 new single-family homes built in the West Bend attendance area from 2011-2020. 
• Turnover in ownership of homes in an older community also declined during this period, with householders aging in place.

More information on enrollment trends in Wisconsin schools is available in this Wisconsin Association of School Boards magazine article from September 2023. 

Long-term and Recent Birth Rate Trends
The report includes details on population trends in the school district attendance areas and other areas of Washington County.

According to the report, "Long-term birth trends show a decreasing trend, while recent birth trends indicate further decline in the number of births." 

Trends in Population
Reviewing the municipalities in the WBSD attendance area, the report finds that, “Changes in the total population of the district area, particularly when examined by age, provide clues into how the school-age population may be changing.”

The total population tables show little change in population since 2010.

In addition, examining the population by age in the WBSD attendance area shows once again the decrease in population in ages under 5 to 19. In fact, the number of young people ages 0-19 decreased by an estimated 1,831, and older adults, age 65 and over, have increased by 2,573 residents.

Housing Trends
New single-, two-, or multi-family housing starts in the WBSD attendance area between 2011 and 2020 fluctuated between 105 and 280 each year. The report states, “Households in single-family homes, on average, contain more school-aged children than in two-family and multi-family complexes. Single-family home construction has seen a low of 51 homes in 2011 and a high of 106 homes in 2020 with an average of 90 new single-family homes annually the last five years.”

The report also examined the turnover in ownership of existing housing, which contributes to changes in enrollment. “Enrollment may change depending upon the cycle of resident homeowners. For instance, a younger community will have a higher child-per-household ratio, whereas an older community will have a lower child-per-household ratio.” 

“Turnover in ownership in an older community may result in an increase in the child-per-household number…Absent new housing development or housing turnover, householders age in place and the number of school-aged children ultimately declines.”