St. Louis Park sees housing as key to enrollment

The fortunes of the St. Louis Park School District are closely tied to the appeal of St. Louis Park's housing stock, local officials say. ¶ So leaders of the school district and city are putting their heads together to promote improvements to housing in the first-ring suburb in hopes of boosting school enrollment that will bring in more state funding. The city and district are promoting remodeling and design services, low-interest loans and other programs to improve housing, which they believe will attract new families and keep current residents in town as their children reach school age.

Early last year, the district and city were contemplating "what's going on with demographics in St. Louis Park and how can we help each other?" said school Superintendent Debra Bowers.

For the schools, it's a pressing issue because enrollment has remained relatively flat or declined slightly each year since 1997. That means less state funding and budget cuts. The school district expects to make about $1.4 million in cuts from its 2008-09 budget.

For the city, the programs make sense because they can give young families options beyond the modest, post-World War II ramblers on St. Louis Park's west side and the trendy apartments and condos on the city's east side near the Excelsior & Grand development.

With those issues and others in mind, the city and school district commissioned an enrollment report last summer by consultant Hazel Reinhardt of Edina. It indicated that the city and district serve a population where the average size of a household -- with 2.08 people -- is significantly smaller than that of Hennepin County (2.39) and the state as a whole (2.52).

St. Louis Park's relatively low number is likely related to the city's high percentage of senior citizens, according to the demographic report. In 2000, 14.7 percent of the city's population was older than 65, compared with 11 percent in Hennepin County.

But Reinhardt's study also indicated, based on census age data and district enrollment patterns from 1997-2005, that many parents left St. Louis Park before their children reached kindergarten age.

"We're just looking to keep St. Louis Park kids and have them try the excellent education here," Bowers said.

Reinhardt presented the projections to school and city officials at a joint meeting in November. District and city leaders hold joint meetings about four times a year and expect to discuss the issue further this spring.

Looking forward, the report indicated the district's enrollment could decrease by as much as 150 students or increase by as much as 300 students by 2015-16. Most projections point to a small decrease, Reinhardt said. However, Bowers said, adding 150 students to the district's rolls is "very doable." City officials agreed.

"One of the biggest advantages to St. Louis Park is we have a great location and great schools," Mayor Jeff Jacobs said. "We've got all these options you might not have if you live 30 or 40 miles away."

The city already has programs to encourage homeowners to upgrade their property.

"About 75 percent of our homes are 1,200 square feet. That's a small home by today's standards," Larsen said. "But so many people move in when they're young and they don't necessarily want to leave" as their families grow.

To take advantage of the remodeling program, residents make an appointment, and an adviser meets them at their home to discuss ideas. The service is free. Then, residents interested in planning additions can pay $25 for a two-hour in-home consultation with a certified architect. The city picks up the rest of the tab.

More than 800 residents have used the services. The majority follow through with projects. And most of the families have children, Larsen said.

St. Louis Park residents Karen and Mark Scott took advantage of the loan program about two years ago to expand their 1½-story Cape Cod-style rambler. The couple used the loan to add a third bedroom, an office and a bathroom to the upstairs portion of the home. Now both of their daughters, who attend St. Louis Park schools, have their own rooms.

Shortly after the project was completed, Karen Scott said they opened their home for the city's remodeling tour, and more than 600 people dropped by during the event, which is held each spring.