Enrollment in the Columbia County school system is below projections so far this year, but the student populations in Richmond and Aiken counties have topped predictions.
The enrollment projection for Columbia County schools this year was 22,577, an increase of 485 pupils from last year, excluding pre-kindergartners and special education pre-kindergartners. As of Wednesday, enrollment, excluding pre-K and special education pre-K children, had reached 22,386.
"We have continued to pick up a few as we move along," said Sandra Carraway, the Columbia County school system deputy superintendent.
On the first day of school, Aug. 11, the student population in Columbia County was 695 pupils under projections. The student population had reached 22,338 on the 10th day of school. Because growth tends to slow down after Labor Day, Dr. Carraway said, any changes in the pupil population are expected to be minimal for the remainder of the year.
The projected enrollment for 2008-09 in Richmond County was 30,506, and the total enrollment was 33,109 as of Wednesday. The enrollment was 32,439 on the first day of school.
However, Robert Jankus, a Richmond County school system information technology programmer, wrote in an e-mail that some pupils who are expected to show up have not been included in the system and that withdrawals have not been completed.
Tray Traxler, the Aiken County schools comptroller, said the total enrollment was 24,872 as of Tuesday. Enrollment was 23,650 on the first day of school, Aug. 18. The first-day enrollment included 225 pupils at three charter schools, Mr. Traxler said, and the most recent figures included 255 charter school pupils. He said the student population, excluding charter pupils, was projected at 24,632.
Dr. Carraway said the additional pupils since the start of the school year in Columbia County are new to the school system. Dr. Carraway said the schools with the most growth included River Ridge Elementary School, Stallings Island Middle School and Lakeside High School. However, she said, only one additional teacher had been hired since the beginning of the school year, at Lakeside Middle School.
She said growth was not factored into enrollment projections for Stallings Island. The projections included only pupils who were rezoned from other schools, she said.
Dr. Carraway also said the Lakeside High population could have grown because of spot rezoning that allowed some students to attend the school a year before a high school rezoning plan goes into effect.
School administrators rezoned the high schools to prepare for the opening of Grovetown High School in 2009.
Reach Betsy Gilliland at (706) 868-1222, ext. 113, or betsy.gilliland@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
Back 
