The Coupeville School District is responsible for teaching youth incarcerated at the county’s new Juvenile Detention Center.

More than six months after opening, fewer young people than expected have served time at the 21-bed facility. That situation could prompt a budget shortfall within the school district in the next several months.

Mike Merringer, the county’s administrator for juvenile and family court services, said the average number of kids has been less than half of what officials originally predicted.

The level was based on 2005 numbers that showed Island County had approximately 10 youths per day incarcerated at juvenile facilities in Snohomish and Skagit counties.

However, numbers declined after the Island County facility opened.

Merringer said he didn’t know exactly why there were fewer numbers of kids in detention, but staff is starting to look at what is causing the smaller numbers.

He said that filings for juvenile offenses and referrals to the center are obviously down from the previous year.

The number of youths incarcerated in detention centers has declined nationwide as the number of violent crimes decline and prosecutors use sentencing alternatives to help rehabilitate a juvenile offender, Merringer said. He added rehabilitation is the philosophy of juvenile programs.

The lower numbers won’t have an effect on the detention center’s budget — at least not yet. Funding is based on average population over a number of years, Merringer said.

For the Coupeville School District, the low numbers have a more immediate impact.

The school district receives money from the state based on monthly enrollment counts. That once-a-month enrollment count may not be an accurate reflection of the number of youth in the facility throughout the month. As many as 17 juveniles have been in the center at one time.

“It’s not a very good way to fund the program,” Coupeville School District Superintendent Bill Myhr said. Detention center population fluctuates daily as youth move in and out of the facility.

The school district contracts with Educational Service District 189 in Anacortes to provide educational services at the Juvenile Detention Center.

The state money based on the count at the detention center is funneled to the ESD to pay for the program costs. The Coupeville School District receives approximately $4,700 for every full-time-equivalent student.

Officials estimated the detention center would need at least 10 kids counted in order to get enough funding to cover costs.

Should the funding come in lower than expected, then the school district is responsible for covering the remainder.

Currently the monthly enrollment counts show that fewer than seven kids are at the detention center at the beginning of each month.

School officials will meet with ESD officials early January to discuss the funding crunch and ways to resolve it.