School enrollment might increase

Columbia County school officials approved an enrollment projection Tuesday suggesting the system might grow by 261 pupils next school year.

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Officials are projecting a pupil enrollment of 22,316 for the 2009-10 school year.

The projection is based on recent growth trends and data on 5-year-olds.

About 152 pupils are expected to enter kindergarten next year, Superintendent Charles Nagle told school board members.

So far this year, the school system has grown by more than 280 pupils to about 22,100.

That is about 200 fewer pupils than officials expected, according to system records.

Officials use pupil populations to help set the system's annual budget. This year's budget is about $176 million.

Also at the meeting, school trustees, as a collective, responded to an online poll from the Georgia School Boards Association asking the board whether it would like more state control on such issues as ethics, compensation, performance reviews and training hours.

On nearly every question, the board voted to keep local control.

The board approved 2010 Warrior Way as the address for Grovetown High School. The name for the road, which connects to Chamblin and Baker Place roads, recognizes the school's Warrior mascot.

The 2010 street number honors the year for the first graduating class at the high school, scheduled to open in August.