St. Paul schools expect 10 years of modest enrollment growth

The St. Paul school district expects to add between 1,500 and 3,000 students in the next decade, an increase of between 4 and 8 percent.

District leaders say that would be modest but welcome growth after nearly 10 years of overall decline.

Since 2006 St. Paul's enrollment has declined by 5 percent, although it has stabilized in recent years

The enrollment projections, which go before the St. Paul school board tonight, will help district officials plan for future program and building needs. Current enrollment is just under 38,000.

The projection takes into consideration birth rates and housing trends and will help school leaders plan facility and program needs, said Joe Munnich, the district's assistant director of research, evaluation and assessment.

Future housing projects could add even more students, he added. The district is watching how future housing developments along the Central Corridor and at the former St. Paul Ford plant might affect enrollment.

"It's a projection and not a promise, so we'll be watching that from year to year," he said. "But that gives us a fairly good range to make some of those initial decisions and plans around our long term future."