The school board will discuss the implications of the new demographic study published last November at the March 12 workshop. According to school board president Tricia Hackett, the study predicted population changes that will help the board make policies for future school years.

“It a tool to plan into the future,” she said. “How are we utilizing staff and the buildings the best?”

Click here for more details on the school board’s workshop agenda.

According to the study, the number of students who will attend the Carmel Clay Schools system will decrease in the next few years. For example, the number of elementary school students will decrease by 187 in the next five years, high school student numbers will start to decrease by 2021.

Hackett said, “When you see those numbers, it makes you think how to use it in the future.” The board will be able use this information to guide policies such as redistricting.

Hackett also said the board will also consider the uneven growth within this school district. “Specifically, how do we handle that our west side will grow in population while the rest of our district will decrease.”

Alex Chong, West Carmel resident and senior, said he has witnessed this growth. “I remember 10 years ago when Carmel had a lot of empty fields, empty lots, and now there’s a lot of houses and buildings. It’s shown how Carmel has grown in 10 years.”