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BACKGROUND <br /> The Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) engages in an annual demographic <br /> study to assist the school board in its planning and decision making. They contract with <br /> Davis Demographics Planning (DDP) to conduct their demographic studies. City staff <br /> assist in the preparation of this study by providing requested information to the <br /> demographer. <br /> The purpose of the report is to identify and inform the District of the trends occurring in <br /> the community; how these trends may affect future student population; and to assist in <br /> illustrating facility adjustments that may be necessary to accommodate the potential <br /> student population shifts. The District can then use this information to better plan for the <br /> need, location and timing of facility or boundary adjustments. <br /> The City and the School District work collaboratively through the Liaison Committee to <br /> communicate regularly about ongoing and future development along with other issues <br /> that may impact the District's future planning and decision making to ensure that the <br /> District can adjust as new information becomes available. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> Recent demographic trends combined with changes in the high density development <br /> and the City Council's decision to halt the East Pleasanton Specific Plan (EPSP) have <br /> changed the ten year resident student forecast for the District. <br /> In previous years, DDP identified declining birth rates that would cause the District's <br /> resident student population to decline if it were not for the presence of residential <br /> development in East Pleasanton. Previous estimates had expected to see units within <br /> the EPSP becoming occupied as soon as 2019. The occupation of these units was <br /> expected to help mask the negative impact that smaller incoming kindergarten classes <br /> were expected to have on the District's resident student population. Since the <br /> demographic study in fall 2014, the EPSP effort was discontinued and birth rates have <br /> yet to recover enough to introduce larger incoming kindergarten classes. As <br /> development declines in the coming years there will not be enough students generated <br /> by new units to offset the impact of smaller incoming kindergarten classes. This is <br /> reported in the annual update provided by DDP. These projections are based solely <br /> upon school of residence, (not where a student attends school but where they actually <br /> reside) and are designed to inform the District as to when and where the student <br /> population shifts will occur. The District conducts annual demographic studies to ensure <br /> they are being proactive in planning. <br /> Currently, the PUSD has a total of 9 elementary (TK-5) schools, three middle (6-8) <br /> schools and two comprehensive (9-12) high schools. In the fall 2015, the District <br /> reported a total of 6,263 TK-5, 3,634 6-8 students and 4,857 9-12 students for a total of <br /> 14,754 TK-12 students enrolled in the District. A decline is expected for the District over <br /> the next 10 years. This decline is expected to occur in part due to changes in <br /> development levels (and the elimination of units expected to be constructed in East <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br />