Fowlerville superintendent hopes to reverse district's enrollment decline
FOWLERVILLE — Nearly one year into Matt Stuard’s tenure as superintendent of Fowlerville Community Schools, the Mason resident is confident that the district’s immediate future is bright and that it will turn around its enrollment decline.
One potential proof point is the new $3 million Fowlerville Elementary School that is scheduled to open for the 2024-2025 school year. The brand-new building will be filled with the latest in high-tech tools and new furniture for students and staff.
That’s just one way that Stuard is attempting to reverse the enrollment decline of Fowlerville Schools over the last decade, during which time it has lost approximately 500 total students to settle at around 2,500 district-wide. While a portion of that enrollment loss can be attributed to lower birth rates statewide, Stuard said some families living within district borders are choosing to send their students elsewhere. He aims to change that mindset.
Before starting at Fowlerville on May 1, 2023, Stuard “saw that decline as an opportunity." He came to the district after a more than 20-year career at Mason Public Schools south of Lansing. There, Stuard started as a high school teacher, and last served as executive director of curriculum. He was intrigued by the opening for a superintendent with the departure of former superintendent Wayne Roedel the previous fall because Stuard saw it as a community with a similar profile to Mason.
The November 2021 passage of Fowlerville’s $37.8-million bond proposal that included funding for the new K-2 school and other projects helped influence his decision to apply for the position as well.
“Very few school districts are building new elementary schools so that’s a real benefit,” he said.
After starting at Fowlerville, Stuard discovered that being a short drive from the Ingham County border allows for numerous school-of-choice opportunities for families. In an effort to bring more families back to the district, Stuard has sought to improve district communications in a variety of ways, including an expanded social media presence, and more news being sent to families via email online.
Fowlerville recently launched an online family survey to both uncover perceptions about the district and to garner new ideas. Results are expected later this spring.
“I wanted to make sure we’re being as transparent as we can,” Stuard said.
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One way to attract more families to send their children to Fowlerville is by increasing enrollment in early childhood and kindergarten, as students are more likely to stay within the same district once they start there.
Stuard hopes those families with younger children will see the new elementary school and the remodeling of the current Smith Elementary into the new early childhood center as progress and a motivating factor in their school-of-choice decisions. The new move of the early childhood center is expected to be completed by August 2025, Stuard said. The current John S. Munn Early Childhood Education Center would then be demolished for green space but could be used for further expansion if needed in the future, Stuard added.
Fowlerville is also adding a Kinder Academy, which serves as a bridge for kindergarten-eligible students who may need more academic and/or social seasoning before they start a full-day kindergarten. Kinder Academy is expected to open in time for the 2024-25 school year this fall.
To further support student performance, Fowlerville has added interventionists at its three elementary schools and is piloting a new reading program for early childhood and elementary school students.
“Most school districts have seen behavioral changes with students since COVID so we’re doubling down on that as well,” Stuard said. “We want to support whatever types of needs our students and staff have.”
— M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Fowlerville superintendent hopes district can increase enrollment
