OTTAWA — Ottawa school officials have done an exit study to find why more than 190 students left Ottawa schools since last year. Supt. Dean Katt said the district has seen a large turnover of students leaving and entering Ottawa schools. Ottawa schools normally see a large turnover of students moving in and moving out of the district but Katt said the turnover has been unusually high last year, even by Ottawa’s standards. A major reason is the poor economy, he said. He had worried that virtual schools from Lawrence and Spring Hill had cut into the number of students but the exit study showed that hasn’t had as significant an impact as other factors, he said. Ottawa enrollment is showing a decline of 28 students this year but he said he expects more students to enroll. Because more students qualify for free lunches, the district will receive more state aid despite lower enrollment numbers. Katt must report the enrollment figures on Monday.
Thursday, Sept. 16, 8 a.m.
