Wednesday, October 15, 2003
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Wednesday, October 15, 2003 |
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Enrollment slightly higher than predicted for 2003-04 By J. FRANK LYNCH Official first-month enrollment figures for Fayette County Schools have exceeded projections by nearly 250 students, an unexpected growth spurt that reflected no trends, said Superintendent John DeCotis. As of Sept. 8, the 20-day mark of the school term, there were 21,239 students in all grades, kindergarten through 12, enrolled in 30 Fayette County schools, according to information from the district offices. That’s 248 more students than DeCotis had projected for the start of the term, based on long-term trends and housing starts, though he said Fayette County’s student growth patterns really defy traditional norms. “That’s about what we expected,” he said. “We usually find that our growth happens from fall to fall, or spring to spring throughout the school year. We have historically not seen a lot of growth from spring to fall, during the summer months when you usually think of people moving and buying houses.” Fayette County economics and demographics reflect professional, stable families that are more inclined to move when necessary, not just in summer, and then stay put once they do. Still, there were some surprises: Sandy Creek High enrolled about 100 more than last year at this time, which reflects a boom in new housing developments in the Tyrone area, DecCotis said. Sandy Creek, off Jenkins Road just north of Tyrone, showed 1,303 students last month, the largest student body in years but still shy of the school’s 1,500 capacity, which it has never reached since opening in 1991. There was more significant movement in the elementary grades, DeCotis said, pointing out that the new Crabapple Elementary in north Peachtree City saw 60 more students show up than the 411 predicted. Another jump occured at Sara Harp Minter Elementary, which welcomed 709 students, nearly 100 more than projected. But many of those likely were transfers from Peeple’s Elementary, located down Ga. Highway 85 at the Starr’s Mill Complex. Peeple’s enrolled 787 students this year, significantly fewer than the 833 anticipated. “I think that’s the only area you may have seen notable changes,” said DeCotis. “Other than the the elementary numbers, every school is similar to what we were last spring.” The reason, again said DeCotis, is one of economics: “A lot of times what famlies will do when they have kids in the high schools and get a job transfer, they’ll leave the kids here with a guardian and let them finish their junior and senior years.” Partially because of that, Fayette County’s enrollment is actually top heavy, reflecting larger than average classes in the high schools, and why Fayette County has seen the need to build new high schools faster than neighboring counties like Coweta. Coweta has a population of 105,000, slightly larger than Fayette overall, but has just three high schools, with no immediate plans to build a fourth. Fayette County, with an estimated 100,000 residents, just opened its fifth high school, Whitewater, and has bought land to open a sixth in a few years in the center of the county.
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