Have There Really Been Over 400 Students Lost From The School System In The Last Five Years?

It's been reported on more than one occasion, most recently on WKSR today, that the School System has had a reduction of over 400 students in the past five years and that is the reason 80 teachers and support staff have been terminated and sever cut backs have been made to the budget.

That statement leads to a number of questions, the first being if it is true why has all the cuts been made this year instead of during those five previous years? If the loses were so great how was it that the actual amounts of money going into the school system increased during those years?

These are the numbers listed with the Tennessee Department of Education which are readily available for anyone to access by checking that website and going to the TDOE Report Card.

2007  -  4325 Students - 303 Teachers - 20 Administrators

2008 -   4326 Students - 309 Teachers - 21 Administrators

2009 -   4300 Students - 305 Teachers - 23 Administrators

2010 -   4143 Students - 306 Teachers - 23 Administrators

2011 -   4054 Students - 308 Teachers - 24 Administrators