Marketing the arts magnet

Sagging enrollment at a new performing arts academy in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District has spurred school leaders to ramp up recruiting efforts and consider changes for next year.

Envision Academy of the Arts has 49 students this fall, down from about 75 last year and far short of the 300 that the school board once talked of attracting to the high school program.

Envision students take core academic classes at Burnsville High School, then head to the nearby Burnsville Performing Arts Center for lessons in theater, dance and music.

It's an intensive program, and that's one reason some of last year's students chose not to return for Envision's second year, said Burnsville High principal Dave Helke.

Students at the academy get instruction from arts professionals and the chance to work with groups such as the James Sewell Ballet. They also sign on for a longer school day: Envision classes end at 4:15 p.m., more than two hours after the last bell rings at Burnsville High.

That made it hard for some teens to fit in homework, a job or other activities, Helke said. "A lot of the students would have the passion in the arts, but they also had a lot of other interests."

One student who left, Ellen Cocchiarella, said she liked the program but had a hard time balancing Envision commitments with a job and the rest of her life.

In response to feedback from families, Envision may give students a more flexible afternoon schedule next fall, Helke said. Under the new schedule, students are likely to get two hours of arts instruction during the regular school day, then have the option of participating in a variety of productions, master classes or ensembles after school, he said.

The academy's music program focuses on orchestral stringed instruments -- a disappointment to some students who are more interested in singing or other instruments.

Next fall, Envision is likely to expand its music program, offering classes in music composition and theory to students beyond those playing stringed instruments, Helke said.

The school also has beefed up marketing and outreach. In addition to holding open houses, the academy has placed ads in newspapers, improved its website and branched out to Facebook. Prospective students are urged to "shadow" an Envision student for a day.

Envision is only in its second year, and nurturing a new program for a unique audience takes time, Superintendent Randy Clegg said in an e-mail last month. Enrollment will be a key measure of its long-term success, he added.

"The [enrollment] number is not what I'm focused on," said school board Chairwoman DeeDee Currier. "I'm focused on providing opportunities for students."

Envision was one of several magnet programs launched by the district last fall as part of a state-mandated plan to lessen a racial imbalance with the neighboring Lakeville district. Districts sometimes open magnet schools in an attempt to better integrate schools by attracting students across attendance boundaries.

This fall, just over a third of Envision's students came from outside the Burnsville district.

The district will spend about $170,000 more this year on staff for Envision than it would if the program's students attended Burnsville High full-time, said district spokeswoman Ruth Dunn. That expense is covered by state and local integration dollars, she said.

The district is also paying $135,000 to lease space at the performing arts center. Transportation, which is reimbursed by the state, will cost about $90,000, Dunn said.