Four years of declining enrollment has Southwest Allen County Schools ready to make a change.

Numerous factors – including lower birth rates, an aging population and private schools – have contributed to the loss of more than 500 students since fall 2021, when enrollment peaked at nearly 7,800 learners, officials have said.

Other public schools are also chipping away at Southwest Allen’s enrollment, which is tied to the district’s state funding. The number of SACS residents attending another district or charter school increased to 310 last fall – 105% more than the 151 who did three years previously, according to the state’s public corporation transfer report.

SACS – which has generally restricted enrollment to residents and children of employees – is considering a strategy districts in

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