Seekonk School Enrollment Remains Flat

Despite continued population growth, Seekonk Public Schools enrollment remains flat, according to statistics provided by NESDEC (New England School Development Council).

The report stated: “The NESDEC enrollment projection fell within 10 students of the K-12 total, 1,945 students projected vs. 1,955 enrolled. Note: Ungraded students are not included in K-12 total. Births increased by 13 from a previous ten-year average of 112 to a projected average of 125. In most districts, Grades 1-8 are very stable in enrollments. However, there have been increases in 6 of the 8 most recent years, leading to a net increase averaging 20 students per year.”

“Over the next three years, Grades K-5 enrollments are projected to decrease by 27 students, Grades 6-8 enrollments are projected to increase by 16 students, and Grades 9-12 enrollments are projected to increase by 30 students, as students move through the grades.”

NESDEC noted the total enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year was 1,975 students in grades K- 12. The enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year was projected to be 1,960. For the 2015-2016 school year, total enrollment was 1,952.

“It’s not going down from where we are right now,” Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell said at the November 3 school committee meeting. “On the plus side, there isn’t a huge increase (in students).”

Kidwell added total district enrollment is 2,002 students. There are 581 at Aitken Elementary, 432 at Martin Elementary, 500 at Hurley Middle School and 489 at the high school.

According to World Population Review, Seekonk has a 2025 population of 16,044. Seekonk is currently growing at a rate of 0.83 percent annually and its population has increased by 3.28 percent since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 15,534 in 2020.

NESDEC has provided projections for the next 10 years. Seekonk school enrollment is projected to be 1,947 for the 2035-2036 school year.

“One interesting point is in the methodology of the study: it's strongly based upon construction permit trends,” Kidwell noted. “If a larger development is permitted, whether single family or multi-family construction, the population of our schools would change accordingly.  A development like Greenbriar 1 brings approximately 120 new students to the district.”

“A new neighborhood of single-family homes could also have a sizable impact on our enrollment, depending on lot size and bedrooms.  Mixed-use development with studio and one- or two-bedroom apartments would have the least impact.  In the time period that NESDEC researched for these projections, there is no projected impact from any known construction permitting.”