Michigan's state demographer is projecting a large drop in the number of school-aged children in the state.
Eric Guthrie says the number of 5 to 17 year olds in Michigan could fall by more than 100,000 children over the next five years.
He says people moving out of Michigan, and fewer people having kids, are to blame for the drop. Guthrie says the decline could pose a problem for schools in the state.
“Schools are presumably competing for a fewer number of students to fill their schools,” he said.
Guthrie says the decrease could also impact per-pupil funding for schools.
“When you have declining numbers of 5 to 17 year olds you're going to be having declining enrollment,” he said.
Guthrie said the school-aged population should begin to grow again as more millennials have children. He said he anticipates that shift will happen by 2024.
