Enrollment declines in Gloucester Public Schools may mean a $400,000 budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, the county school board was told in its meeting Tuesday at the T.C. Walker Education Center.

The board was provided with school membership numbers based on a Sept. 30 count that showed the eight county schools have 101 fewer students overall than they did in September 2013. The current school budget was developed based on an enrollment of 5,430 students and the current membership is at 5,417. 

However, school division budget director Joanne Wright said, based on past experience, the division will lose 80 to 85 students between now and March. It is the March average daily membership count that the state uses for funding purposes. She said losing 85 students would mean just under $400,000 less in state funding than anticipated.

Only two schools, Bethel Elementary and Peasley Middle School, currently have more students than last year. The Bethel count is up by 15 stud...