For first time in 10-plus years, Lexington school enrollment didn’t grow. Here’s why.

Fayette County Public Schools Budget Director Julane Mullins said district-wide enrollment has flat-lined for the first time in more than 10 years.

The overall district enrollment on the 10th school day in 2017 was 40,575. That number on the 10th school day in 2016 was 40,601.

In 2005, the district had 34,433 students, and the district has grown every year since then until this year, district officials said.

One piece of the puzzle on why enrollment has flat-lined: Mullins and other district officials said the district had about 474 fewer kindergarten students on the 10th school day of this year than last fall as a result of the birthday cutoff for kindergarten in Kentucky moving up two months from Oct. 1 to Aug. 1 for the 2017-18 school year.

The change meant that most children had to turn 5 by Aug. 1, 2017, in order to enter kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year.

The overall number of elementary students decreased year-to-year by 416 students from 19,617 to 19,201, district spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said.

At the same time, Deffendall said, the overall number of middle school students in programs and regular schools increased year-to-year from 9, 170 to 9, 326.

The overall number of high school students in special programs and regular schools increased year-to-year from 11,814 to 12,048.

This story was originally published September 14, 2017 at 10:16 AM with the headline "For first time in 10-plus years, Lexington school enrollment didn’t grow. Here’s why.."