After losing more than 600 students this fall, Lexington-Richland School District Five may have to shift funds to cover a budget shortfall. The decline in enrollment is likely related to a new Midlands charter school campus. 

Superintendent Akil E. Ross said the 10-day enrollment report shows the district lost a total of 627 students.

“I think we’re in a good place with our current budget, and we have parachutes built into the budget to take us through this year,” he said during a recent board meeting. 

The district is requesting a budget amendment at a board meeting scheduled for Oct. 27. During the meeting, board members will reassign funds for potential shortfalls and reductions. 

This fall, a new Gray Collegiate campus opened in Irmo. Principal Brian Newsome shared in February that the West Columbia campus had outgrown its capacity. The new Irmo campus serves students in sixth through 10th grade and eventually will expand to sixth through 12th grade. 

During an April budget workshop meeting, board member Catherine Huddle raised concerns about the Irmo campus and its impact on district enrollment.

“There’s a good chance we’re going to lose kids,” she said at the time. 

Shortly after the meeting in April, Newsome released a statement regarding the new campus and the effect it will have on the district.

"We anticipate approximately 600 students attending Gray's new Irmo campus this fall," he wrote. "This represents an extremely small percentage compared to LR5's enrollment, and the reality is the plurality of students who attend the Irmo campus will not live within the LR5 boundaries." 

The public 10-day enrollment report shows how many students each grade level has lost. The district lost 116 fourth-graders, 93 sixth-graders, 168 eighth-graders and 81 11th-graders compared to last school year’s 10-day enrollment report. 

The approved 2025-26 budget totals $250,580,020, with an operating millage rate of 261.0. In addition, $7.4 million has been assigned to the fund balance, which includes items such as employee retention incentive, NERI payments, capital and equipment expenditures, and six full-time equivalents (FTEs) for critical needs areas.

The next regular scheduled board meeting will be Sept. 8, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Center for Advanced Technical Studies, located at 916 Mt. Vernon Church Rd. in Chapin.