Written by Elizabeth Hanke and published as a letter to the editor at the Free Press of Mankato
I truly believe we’re stronger when we work together. That belief is what led my family to host nearly a dozen exchange students from around the world.
I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is when people from different cultures, beliefs and walks of life learn from each other. When we retreat into our own corners we risk losing the empathy that holds our communities together, which is why our Mankato Area Public School district’s declining student enrollment should be a topic of discussion.
In fall 2019, 119 students open enrolled to neighboring districts. This past year, that number jumped to 610. Homeschooling increased from 132 students to 235. Private school enrollment rose from 786 to 974. Our market share has dropped from nearly 90% to just 81% in five years.
Next year the district anticipates 110 fewer students due to birth rate decline and 50 fewer students due to attrition.
The silence around our declining enrollment market share isn’t calm — it’s quiet surrender. As Simon and Garfunkel warned “silence like a cancer grows.” That silence tells us some families feel unheard, students unseen, teachers unsupported.
Break the silence. Talk to a teacher, a parent or a child who’s been left behind. This isn’t just a challenge for leadership — it’s a call to all of us to rebuild trust.
It’s more than a loss of revenue — it’s a loss of community, of volunteers, of relationships and of understanding.
Elizabeth Hanke for Mankato School Board 
Leave a comment