Spring ISD loses more than 130 students after school stabbing, $520,000 in state aid

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's not been a good month for Spring ISD. Just two weeks ago, a fight on the Spring High School campus led to the deadly stabbing of a student.

Since that September 4 incident, more than 130 students have left the school. We've been looking for answers about where they went. Now we know, and we know it's costing Spring hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It is a lot of movement out of Spring High School compared to past years. We told you on Wednesday about the 26 students Spring ISD is moving in to disciplinary programs. That's the biggest chunk of the 146 students who've left since the stabbing.

But virtually all of the neighboring districts have absorbed some too. Aldine has 7; Conroe, 16; Klein, 15; HISD absorbed 8.

Fifteen families decided to homeschool their children. Private schools and charters make up most of the rest, but 4 students left for Louisiana and one for New Jersey.

And here is the real cost. It's not just disruption to the school, but a huge loss to the school budget.

Spring gets $5,300 in state aid per student per year. Add it up. The departing students have taken at least $520,000 in state aid away from the district. It's a small percentage of the school budget, but it is equal to the salary of 10 teachers.

Spring ISD says they continue to get new students as well, offsetting some of decrease.

The district says it will absorb the hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost state aid.

Find Ted on Facebook at ABC13TedOberg or on Twitter at @tedoberg

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