Fairfield Community School District’s official enrollment for this school year shows a decrease in students from the previous year.

At Monday’s school board meeting, superintendent Art Sathoff reported the district was down 24.2 students compared to last year’s official count. However, this morning, that number has already been adjusted to a 21.2 student decrease. The total stands at 1,690.58 students this morning.

“We think it will end up down 16.2 students as all districts finalize official enrollment counts,” he said.

The annual official enrollment for Iowa school districts is the first part of October. Weighting of special needs students account for decimals in the number of students. Students who receive extra services are counted or weighted as more than one whole student, depending on their Individualized Education Plan.

Last month, Sathoff had shared an unofficial student count, which showed 39 more students in the district than the previous year’s unofficial count. He had cautioned in September that the official count would be different. September’s count did not account for home school assistant program students, competent private instruction students and preschool enrollments.

Director of Auxiliary Services Fred McElwee reported a comparison of the school nutrition program in the first 19 operating days of school in September to the same period last year.

In July, school districts were required to follow federal regulations for meal content governing calories, more fresh fruit and vegetables, limited fats and sugars and more whole grains.

McElwee’s comparison shows district revenue for meals is down $2,045 this year compared to last, and 1,853 fewer school lunches were served.

McElwee also shared the 2011-12 transportation report. Fairfield school district had 16 regular morning and afternoon bus routes, two special needs routes and six preschool routes. The average cost per pupil transportation was $620.

Fairfield’s 29 buses traveled a total of 362,477 miles and the district’s suburbans and vans traveled 86,073 miles, for a total 494,490 miles of all vehicles in the transportation and maintenance departments last year.

The district provided transportation for 415 requests for educational and activity trips, totaling 19,689 miles. District athletic trips traveled 31,424 miles.

School buses traveled 1,995 miles transporting community groups last year for which the district received reimbursement.

In other business, the board:

• Approved two change orders for Fairfield Middle School air handling project at $33,058 and $21,185 which included extra painting, acoustical ceiling tile in the band and music rooms, energy management controls for the district freezer, relocation of water lines, additional requirements from the state fire marshal, extra cabinetry and some extra electrical work, said McElwee.

• Approved four Fairfield High School students for early graduation, with a fifth student to be approved in November.

• Approved proceeding with planning a FHS band trip to Orlando, Fla., during spring break.

• Approved the second reading and adopted the Good Conduct Rule regulations.

• Approved changing the date of the first night of parent/teacher conferences to Oct. 29 instead of Oct. 30, to avoid a conflict with Fairfield trick-or-treat night scheduled for Oct. 30.

• Approved hiring coaches for this school year: Two assistant coaches, Curtis Bjork at $1,999 and Randy Fulsaas at $1,999 for high school wrestling; one ninth grade basketball coach, Brent Blakely at $2,467; an assistant middle school girls basketball coach, Taylor Hjerleid at $989; a middle school cheerleading sponsor, Michelle Henderson for first and second seasons, at $ 989; as well as volunteer coaches for middle school boys basketball, Brandon Dimmitt; bowling, Bryan Marley; and high school wrestling, Adam Foreman and Mike Burggraaf.