Area school enrollment growth is declining.

Byline: Eva-Marie Ayala

Nov. 1--The area's worst housing market in seven years is affecting some of Tarrant County's fastest-growing school districts.

Northwest continued its robust growth, according to attendance data collected during the statewide enrollment snapshot date Friday. But others districts saw their numbers tumble.

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw's enrollment growth dropped from 17 percent to 12 percent. The growth rate in the Keller and Mansfield school districts dropped several percentage points. Enrollment in most of the other Tarrant County school districts has also slowed or even declined. The state uses these figures to determine school funding for the next school year.

The enrollment slowdown comes as officials were announcing a big decline in housing starts, which were down 31 percent during the third quarter compared with the same period last year. New home closings also declined 19 percent during the quarter.

The slowdown really has not given the school districts a lot of breathing room this year, said demographer Bob Templeton, who works with area districts.

"The downturn won't affect the need for new facilities, but it will affect the timing," he said. "The downturn is expected to last 18-20 months, so that could give some of the districts a chance to catch up or reschedule when they open a school."