Enrollment down again at Clovis schools

Enrollment at Clovis Municipal Schools is down again, continuing a trend that began in 2012.

CMS Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services and Leadership Carrie Nigreville shared the news with the school board Tuesday at its first regular meeting of the 2024-2025 academic year.

During the 2011-2012 school year, CMS began the school year with 8,486 students enrolled. The beginning of this school year, 7,418 are enrolled, school records show.

This time last year, 7,558 were enrolled.

The district last had more than 8,000 students enrolled in 2016-17.

"Every year we're seeing a decline in enrollment. We're seeing it statewide and nationwide also," Nigreville said after the meeting.

"People are having fewer kids, people are leaving the state. Enrollment has been in decline for the past decade."

Also at the meeting:

• Board President Cindy Osburn reminded attendees to the online Zoom version of the meeting that they would have to have a live image of themselves on their Zoom account during the meeting.

Those who only displayed their name or a still photo of themselves would be removed from the online meeting.

• Clovis High School's new band director, Daniel Perez, was welcomed by the board in attending his first meeting since assuming the post in the wake of the retirement of longtime director Bill Allred.

Perez made the appearance during the request for permission of the board to travel to and attend the upcoming "Bands of America" competition in St. George, Utah.

"Bring home the gold," board member Terry Martin said to Perez.

• CHS Principal Daniel Fredericks introduced the board to the plan to bring a food trailer to the CHS campus.

Fredericks said the idea came to him and CMS Director of Student Nutrition & Well Being Deborah Westbrook when they attended a local event and the Salvation Army's food truck was there.

"We see it as a way to bring life to the school lunch program," Fredericks said.

The trailer will feature the cooking of "hot, nutritional food from the combo line from the cafeteria."

The cafeteria's "main line" foods will still be served in the cafeteria.

"The trailer will handle foods from the 'combo line,'" Westbrook said in her portion of the presentation to the board.

"And the food will be free," Westbrook said.

Fredericks pointed out another benefit of the food trailer "will be available for fundraising possibilities for student groups."

Fredericks and Westbrook reported a vendor has been secured who will be building the trailer.

The two expressed appreciation to local food truck vendor and CHS alumni Oscar Fernandez for his help in the project.

• Westbrook told the board there has been a 6% decline in chronic absenteeism, which she described as "good news" and a "substantial decline."

• The board meets again, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Board Room at the school administration building at Tenth and Main streets in Clovis.