International student enrollment declining in Maine
Increased competition and federal immigration policy are making it difficult for independent and private town academies to maintain enrollment of international students.
Maine Public reported that extra tuition money from international student enrollment has helped some private and independent schools keep their doors open in the face of declining overall enrollment. After years of growth, the number of international students at Maine's secondary schools has fallen by more than 6% over the past two years.
Some schools said they've lost as many as 30 international students, which could mean losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition revenue.
As a result, some schools are looking at additional revenue streams. For example, Lee Academy is scouting sites to build international schools.
The Millinocket School Department in 2010 launched a program to recruit international students for Stearns High School — a decision novel enough to warrant an article in the New York Times that October.
The initiative came about due to falling revenue as enrollment continued to shrink — from a high of 700 in the1970s to fewer than 200 in 2010. Lee Academy in Lee and Thornton Academy in Saco were also among the early Maine schools that boarded international students as a revenue generator.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments