They didn't have to, Assistant Superintendent Gene Sullivan said, because they already knew where the people were.

``If we waited every 10 years to find out where people were living or moving to, we'd be in big trouble,'' Mr. Sullivan said.

Unlike governmental agencies, businesses and real estate developers, schools have to track their pupil and parent populations on an almost constant basis. It's the only way, school officials say, they can be aware of trends, age groups, and other demographic shifts.

So when the 2000 Census numbers were released, Mr. Sullivan said, none of the school planners was surprised.

``It just reaffirmed for us what we already knew,'' he said. ``People are moving into west and south Augusta.''

With the help of school planner Kelley Carrie, a Hilton Head Island, S.C.-based demographic researcher, Richmond County school officials review their populations every two to three years. The information helps them know which schools are going to become overcrowded, which are going to become less crowded and, in some instances, which schools will become obsolete.

``It's a very valuable tool for us,'' Mr. Sullivan said.

Those demographic charts and tables helped Mr. Carrie and others at Associated Planning and Research Inc. plan how to redraw Richmond County school zones to better serve the pupil populations.

By tracking enrollment figures, school capacities, state legislative mandates, construction and real estate and mobile home sales, Mr. Carrie is able to give the Richmond County Board of Education the information it needs when it comes time for rezoning.

And that helped tremendously, school board members said, when deciding what to do with overcrowded portable classrooms or trailers at Goshen Elementary School and underutilized and empty classrooms at McBean Elementary School.

``What I saw in the numbers, we had some concerns over growth,'' said school board member Jeff Padgett. ``Do we want to build more portables?''

The answer was no, leading the school board to approve zoning changes to utilize schools and pupils.

As school board member Kenneth Echols said during a recent meeting, ``We can move students; we can't move school buildings.''

Mr. Padgett said he thinks one of the things that has led to the 25 percent to 50 percent growth in south Augusta is the available land, water and sewerage.

By comparison, he said, the lack of sewer and water is holding back the area closer to McBean Elementary School.

``Once those issues are addressed, I think we'll see more growth in that area for sure,'' he said.

West Augusta also is seeing significant growth, greater than 50 percent, according to the census. That again, is something Richmond County was aware of and that's part of the reason why Sue Reynolds Elementary School and Jenkins-White Elementary School are set to open two new kindergarten-through-fifth-grade schools this fall.

Two more schools are expected to be built in the next few years on the southwest side of U.S. Highway 25, Mr. Padgett said.

``I've been surprised (to be dealing with demographics and population growths),'' said Mr. Padgett, a first-term school board member. ``I expected to be dealing with academics and curriculum. Instead, I'm dealing with these sorts of things.''

The census numbers show nearly 74 percent growth in west Augusta. Smaller growth - less than 10 percent - can be seen in areas near north and central Augusta and Hephzibah.

A side effect of the population changes and growth patterns has been Richmond County's need to realign and streamline the elementary school system, school officials say.

The rezoning, which will be implemented in August, is a way for school officials to reduce class size, remove portable classrooms and eliminate a busing system that has been in place since the federal desegregation order of 1970 was implemented.

The rezoning comes as the Board of Education is completing a five-year, $115 million school construction and improvement plan and at a time when class size specifications for all Georgia public schools are becoming law under the Governor's A Plus Education Reform Act of 2000.

With Craig-Houghton Elementary School, which opened in January, and Sue Reynolds and Jenkins-White elementary schools set to open this fall, there will be more classrooms and each school can take on more pupils. Also, schools with additions will also be able to accommodate more pupils.

Redrawing the school boundaries also will help in the school system's plan to bring area or neighborhood schools back and to eliminate as much busing as possible.

Reach Justin Martin at (706) 823-3552.