Demographics shift, populations swell and class sizes fluctuate. Educators must deal with these changes routinely. Throughout all of these scenarios, WillScot remains constant in its support of school systems, helping them adjust and utilize space efficiently so they can continue the important job of educating the nation’s children.
Headcounts continuously ebb and flow within school districts, forcing school boards to annually plan for space issues. University systems see plenty of fluctuation in class size, and schools at elementary, secondary and degree-granting levels all must remain open during extended renovations.
That makes the world of education a perfect fit for what WillScot offers: the space industries need, custom-fit and quickly ready to roll.
And just as with educators, we must adapt to change. That’s why we monitor data and trends within every sector we touch. We need to know where our space is needed most.
The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) releases an annual report that, among other things, assesses enrollment trends at different educational levels. Its latest report looks at the outlook for enrollment through 2024.
We thought we’d share a few charts NCES created that show enrollment trends, both overall and by region of the country. If you haven’t followed NCES’s work, it’s a good starting point and perhaps it will compel you to dig further.
For example, current expenditures in constant 2013-14 dollars increased 21 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to 2011-12, a 12-year-period. They’re projected to increase 21 percent to $659 billion over the 13 years spanning 2011-12 to 2024-25.
As for enrollment, elementary and secondary schools in the South and West are projected to increase as the Northeast and Midwest remain flat.
And at the degree-granting post-secondary level, enrollment is forecast to increase 14 percent, to 23 million, from 2013 to 2024.
Whether you’re in the education field or not, understanding where populations are expanding is valuable and important. For us, it helps with inventory considerations as well as staffing. We also have a vendor contract with the National IPA, which means we can provide modular products and services at competitively bid pricing to member educational institutions. So, when a school system contacts us, we’re able to create functional, portable learning environments of several different varieties, addressing the specific needs of our clients.
If you follow this blog you’ll notice our frequent use of the phrase Ready to Work. That’s how we deliver our portable space solutions and how we leave you when we pull away from your property.
For us, it’s particularly rewarding to know that we also play a role in keeping our nation’s children and their educators Ready to Work.