Private school enrollment dipped in Hawaii for the first time in a decade in the 2008-09 academic year, likely due to the poor economy and fewer school-age children, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools reported yesterday.

There are 39,344 isle students attending preschool to grade 12 in independent campuses this year, a 2.3 percent drop from a year ago for a loss of nearly 1,000 children, the association said. The group warned that its 122 member schools “;must adapt”; and “;do more with less”; to offer quality education during the financial crisis. Educators note demand for private education has slowed, and more parents are seeking financial help as endowments that fund tuition aid have been hit by the Wall Street meltdown.

“;In the current economic climate, our schools are working diligently with families, with a goal to keep school communities intact,”; the association said.

It found that Hawaii schools, following a national trend, are increasingly having to reach deep into their wait lists and enroll students past deadlines.

Nationally, private school enrollment, which has seen healthy, steady growth in recent years, remained flat on average in 2008-09 as some schools lost and others gained students, the National Association of Independent Schools reported late last year.

The economy's toll on private schools for the coming academic year will not be known until the spring, when application deadlines expire and contract renewals are usually due, or until the start of the fall semester, when enrollment figures are finalized.

'Iolani School, whose enrollment remained stable over the previous year, is getting six applicants per opening, compared with a 7-1 ratio in the past, said spokeswoman Cathy Lee Chong.

She said $100 application fees have been waived for 28 students hoping to enter 'Iolani as freshmen. The school also will boost its financial aid budget by 14 percent in the 2009-10 year, Chong said.

Punahou School expects to increase tuition assistance by 10 percent, said spokeswoman Carlyn Tani.

“;There is a sense that we don't truly understand the depth and breadth of the economic situation,”; she said. “;Some of the effects may not manifest themselves until later this year or at the beginning of the next school year. So we are preparing.”;

St. Francis School opted to forgo tuition increases in the 2009-10 year, Principal Sister Joan of Arc Souza wrote in a letter to parents last month, saying she understands they might be unable to pay more.

Hawaii has one of the highest rates of private school enrollment in the country, with about 18 percent of students attending private schools, according to 2006 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The national average is 11 percent.

The slide in private school enrollment in Hawaii comes as the public education system has been losing students since reaching a peak of more than 189,000 a decade ago, a sign there are fewer school-age children in the state. Today, Hawaii public schools have 177,871 students.