A surge of kindergartners poured into Ventura County public schools this fall, leaving some officials hopeful that several years of declining enrollment might be coming to an end.

But it might be too soon to predict what's ahead for local campuses, they said, and even if their youngest ranks are growing, it could take years before overall enrollment starts climbing again.

"We might be out of the woods," said Superintendent Tim Baird, whose Ojai Unified School District enrolled its largest kindergarten class in seven years, but "we're not quite sure why it's up."

Ojai Unified's total enrollment for all grades started to drop about 10 years ago. Other districts in the county have had similar decreases the past few years. The decline has been blamed on high housing costs pushing out young families, and on a lower birth rate.

This year, however, school districts from Santa Paula to Thousand Oaks reported getting more kindergartners than expected. The change wasn't entirely a surprise, some said, because the birth rate rose about five years ago. Plus, the county's housing prices have dropped, which might be attracting more young families.

But the struggling economy might be playing a part in other ways, too. In some cases, multiple families are moving into the same home. Others might be choosing public schools because they cannot afford tuition to private schools.

Local private schools, which teach about 10 percent of Ventura County's children, gave mixed reports on their enrollment numbers this fall, with some counting increases and others small drops.

"I'm sure the economy has an impact," said Ron Reynolds, executive director of the California Association of Private School Organizations.

Statewide figures on private school enrollment were not available, but he would expect a decline as private schools face rising costs and families struggle to keep up with the price of tuition, he said.

Hoping things turn around

For public school districts in California, more students mean more state funding. Declining enrollment has brought layoffs, program cuts and school closures.

Baird hopes his district of about 3,100 students might be the first to see things turn around. After dropping by about 150 students annually, Ojai's overall enrollment is down by only about 70 children this fall. It has 229 kindergartners, the most since 2001.

In the Conejo Valley Unified School District, overall enrollment also continued to decline this fall, said Superintendent Mario Contini. However, in some grades, the Thousand Oaks district showed increases.

"We have more (kindergartners) than we have had in the last four years" — 1,418 — up about 70 kids from last year, Contini said.

District trustees decided to close two elementary schools in fall 2009 because of the ongoing decline and other funding cuts. The slight increase in elementary enrollment is a good sign but not enough to change those plans, district officials said, because overall enrollment is expected to keep dropping for several more years. According to preliminary numbers, the district has 21,710 students this fall, about 400 fewer than last year.

While birth rates and housing costs are out of educators' control, some are trying to promote unique programs to attract students.

Conejo Unified offered "junior kindergarten" as an option this fall, said Bob Iezza, elementary education director. The pilot program is open to children eligible for kindergarten but who might have otherwise stayed in preschool for an extra year. About 60 students are enrolled, Iezza said.

In some districts, the increase in kindergarten students prompted more multigrade classrooms to be set up this year, as officials try to balance financial demands and keep class sizes small.

Most kindergarten classes have 20 students, a requirement to get special state funding for class-size reduction. However, students don't regularly show up in neat groups of 20.

So when 28 additional kindergartners enrolled in Ojai's Topa Topa School this year, one full kindergarten class was added, plus a kindergarten/first-grade class. Principal John LeSuer said efforts were made to place kindergarten students who might have some first-grade abilities into the split class.

Superintendent optimistic

In Camarillo's Pleasant Valley School District, Rancho Rosal School also set up a split K-1 classroom this year. Principal Sue Sigler signed up 110 kindergartners this fall — 30 more than a year ago — and 125 more students overall. The district's newest campus, Rancho Rosal, is in the new Village at the Park subdivision south of Highway 101. Sigler said the new students could be a sign that more people with young children are moving into the area.

Overall, Pleasant Valley grew by about 80 students this fall, to 6,643, said Superintendent Luis Villegas. It's not a huge increase, but it comes after several years of gradual decline and a huge drop last year.

Projections had called for only a 60-student decline in 2007-08, but the district lost 270 students to a charter school founded by Camarillo parents and teachers after the district closed their former school. It was one of two campuses shuttered.

Villegas said he's optimistic the enrollment tide has turned. Families seem to be coming back, he said, but "I can't tell you from where yet."