WAYNE -- The town could undertake a sustained marketing effort to recruit young families with school-age children to move into town. Or school officials could rent out a whole wing of Wayne Elementary School for retail space, town government use or elderly care.

Wayne School Committee members are in the midst of a brainstorming wave. Their ultimate aim? Funnel enough revenue to Wayne Elementary School so it remains financially feasible to keep the school open.

The storm of ideas comes as the elementary school, which serves students in kindergarten through grade 5, expects a pattern of continued declines in enrollment in the coming years.

As student numbers fall funding dollars shrivel up because the state largely bases its subsidy to local school districts on student numbers.

Making use of extra space at the school could bring added revenue into the district, committee members and district officials say.