Pupil boom exceeds school system's expectations
After several years of slow population growth, Columbia County schools this year are off to a booming start with far more pupils than school officials had expected.
"It's very clear to us we are in a different cycle than we've been in the past five years," School Superintendent Tommy Price said at Tuesday night's board meeting.
On the fifth day of school, the pupil population was 19,537 - 495 pupils more than last year, and 252 more than school officials projected. Those 495 pupils are more than the entire population of the new Lewiston Elementary School, which opened this year with 472 pupils.
"For the last five years, the growth has been average, but with the mortgage rates down, people are taking advantage and moving to Columbia County," Price said. "We've definitely seen an accelerated rate of growth."
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Harlem High School has 37 more students than the system had expected. Grovetown Middle School grew by 81 more pupils than anticipated, and Riverside Elementary School had 56 more than projected. Lewiston Elementary's opening population was 59 pupils more than expected.
Price said school officials are still adjusting class sizes to meet state regulations. He said it is likely that two to three more teachers would be hired.
Price said the increased enrollment steps up the need for a new elementary school in the Evans area. School officials are looking for land, which they must acquire before submitting an application to the state board of education for funding. Price said he plans to apply for funding within the next two months.
"Stevens Creek, Blue Ridge, Riverside, that's our most pressing need," Price said. "We've definitely got to pick up that site in short order."
Stevens Creek Elementary School has 33 more pupils than projected (total population of 822), Blue Ridge Elementary School's population is at 721, 19 fewer than projected and Riverside Elementary School has 56 more pupils than projected, with 954 pupils - a figure that makes the elementary school larger than any of the county's middle schools.
A new elementary school in the Evans area also would relieve Greenbrier Elementary School, which opened with 691 students, 24 more than expected.
By the numbers
Changes in opening-week enrollments for Columbia County schools this year and last year:
School 2003 2002
Elementaries
Bel Air 456 664
Blue Ridge 721 747
Brookwood 573 716
Euchee Creek 501 506
Evans 440 439
Greenbrier 691 639
Grovetown 559 539
Lewiston 472 n/a
Martinez 491 511
North Columbia 359 445
North Harlem 508 530
Riverside 954 874
South Columbia 538 561
Stevens Creek 822 793
Westmont 588 634
Elementary School total 8,673 8,598
Middle Schools
Columbia 715 737
Evans 771 646
Greenbrier 709 700
Grovetown 489 397
Harlem 421 441
Lakeside 878 937
Riverside 936 873
Middle School total 4,919 4,731
High Schools
Evans 1,697 1,681
Greenbrier 1,663 1,534
Harlem 1,033 992
Lakeside 1,552 1,506
High School total 5,945 5713
Total 19,537 19,042