Last year Springfield Middle School had 620 students. This year, it has 559 students. To the nearest tenth, what is the percent decrease?

To calculate the percent decrease, we use the formula:

\[
\text{Percent Decrease} = \frac{\text{Original Value} - \text{New Value}}{\text{Original Value}} \times 100
\]

Here, the original value is 620 (last year's student count) and the new value is 559 (this year's student count). Substituting these values into the formula:

\[
\text{Percent Decrease} = \frac{620 - 559}{620} \times 100 = \frac{61}{620} \times 100
\]

Now, let's calculate it:

\[
\text{Percent Decrease} = \frac{61}{620} \times 100 \approx 9.8\%
\]

So, the percent decrease is approximately **9.8%**.

Would you like more details on this process or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions:
1. How would you calculate the percent increase if the student count had increased?
2. What if the original count was different—how would that affect the percent decrease?
3. Can you express the student decrease as a decimal instead of a percentage?
4. How would you calculate the student count next year if you predicted a similar percent decrease?
5. How does the percent decrease formula differ from the percent increase formula?

**Tip**: When solving percent change problems, always subtract the new value from the original, not the other way around!

Learn how to calculate the percent decrease when Springfield Middle School's enrollment dropped from 620 to 559 students. This problem covers key concepts such as percent change and ratio calculations. Suitable for students in Grades 6-8.

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