HANCOCK — Enrollment has been dropping predictably since Hancock Elementary School stopped accepting school choice students, and next year, the school might have the lowest enrollment of any public elementary school in Berkshire County.

It has just 44 students this year, with all but six hailing from Hancock. Next year, Principal Jay Merselis said he expects just 41.

“The experience is smaller,” Merselis said. “If you're talking about a class that's broken down by grade, like math class, you might end up with one or two kids in a particular grade of math class, whereas a few years ago, it would be double that. The number of kids in the room has not changed overly dramatically, but it is noticeable.”

Meantime, Hancock Superintendent Rebecca Phillips is tweaking numbers for a school budget presentation to the Hancock School Committee on Tuesday.

“We don’t have a ton of wiggle room,” Phillips said of the budget.

Jennifer Mills teaches students in her fifth and sixth grades at Hancock School. The school, which has just four full-time classroom teachers, combines grade levels in its classrooms.

Phillips said the budget of $1.87 million may still get some fine-tuning. As it stands, it represents a 6.3 percent increase over the current amount, or an increase of just over $111,000.

That includes tuition costs estimated at more than $804,000 for 42 students, including one student who has an out-of-district placement for special education, as well as eight elementary students attending Richmond Consolidated Elementary School. The district also pays tuition for middle and high school students attending a number of schools, including McCann Technical School in North Adams, Taconic High School in Pittsfield, New Lebanon High School in New York and Mount Greylock Regional High School, where Hancock will send 21 students next year.

Phillips said she’s uncertain how much transportation will be next year as the bus contract is out for bid now, but this year’s transportation cost was at more than $100,000.

Students at Hancock School rehearse for a play in the multipurpose room, which serves as a cafeteria for lunch, performances, concerts and physical education, as well as other events.

Hancock combines grade levels in its classrooms, so the school has just four full-time classroom teachers, who are supported by a full-time special education teacher, an art teacher who doubles as the school cook and as a multitiered support system specialist, a part-time physical education teacher, a full-time school nurse, a part-time school adjustment counselor, four classroom aides, and an occupational therapist and speech and language pathologist who both come on a part-time basis.

In February, Phillips testified on a bill that would release school districts in Warwick, Washington and Richmond, as well as Hancock, from paying tuition of incoming school choice students for their high school education. The Joint Committee on Education is expected to report out a recommendation on the home rule petition within the coming weeks.

If that home rule bill is passed by the Legislature, the Hancock School Committee will likely vote to accept school choice students.

Hancock School is located on Route 43. A home rule bill currently being considered in the state Legislature could lead to the school accepting school choice students.

“When you have a class of eight graduating, which includes some school choice kids, and you're replacing it with a significantly smaller of just Hancock school kids, you can see down the road there being a smaller school if something doesn't change,” Merselis said.

“I continue to have a large number of people call on a regular basis inquiring about school choice,” he said.