Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- Student enrollment may be up some this year, if the trend stays true.

As of the ninth day of the school year, on Aug. 9, 15,635 students were enrolled in Rockdale County Public Schools, according to the enrollment data recently reported to the Rockdale County Board of Education. Last year at that time, 15,384 students were enrolled in RCPS's 22 facilities.

Lee Davis, chief financial officer for RCPS, told the board that it could be a reflection that the economy is turning around.

"Last year, we lagged behind previous years," Davis told the school board. "Hopefully, that is a sign."

He said it means an additional 100 high school students, 25 middle-schoolers and 126 elementary school students.

So far this school year, 7,108 students are enrolled at 13 facilities, including 87 prekindergarteners at the Rockdale Career Academy. Overall, 342 pre-k students are in RCPS schools.

C.J. Hicks Elementary School has the highest enrollment with 823 students, and Sims Elementary School has the lowest with 520 students.

At the middle school level, 3,567 students are enrolled at five facilities, including 17 at the Alpha Academy alternative school.

In three high schools and four other schools, 4,960 high school students are enrolled. That includes 262 at the Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, 164 at Open Campus and 28 at Alpha.

This year, 1,091 high school seniors attend schools.

RCPS had projected 15,987 students would be enrolled at its schools, but there is still time to hit that figure.

Davis said sometimes enrollment will spike after neighboring school districts begin schools and sometimes again after Labor Day. He said that over the past several years, the 60- or 80-day count are typically the highest enrollment counts; prior to that, the 100th day of school was the highest.

Typically by the end of the school year, though, the number declines.

Davis said he and other staff members will continue to monitor student enrollment, especially over the next week or so, and if class sizes are too large, staff changes will be made as soon as possible. Also, any additional teachers will be hired if necessary to support student enrollment, he said.