CLASSES BEGIN WITH RISE IN ENROLLMENT

JACKSON -- Enrollment in the Jackson School District could top 4,100 students this year.

Dr. Howard Jones, superintendent of schools, said the district won't attempt an exact count until after Labor Day because some students will wait until then to start classes, but he expects an increase of 100 or more students this year.

"Last year it was up about 200," he said. The district started the 1995-96 school year with 4,014 students.

Classes started today in the district.

District officials are seeing enrollment growth in different grade levels, Jones said.

"The junior high is experiencing a lot of growth of new students for some reason," he said. "The first grade class is one of our largest classes this year."

First grade enrollment is at 335 now, Jones said, and may top 340 students.

It's not uncommon for enrollment to "bump" up in the eighth and ninth grades because students are transferring in from parochial or rural districts like Nell Holcomb, he said.

Enrollment in the junior high, which houses grades 8 and 9, will be over 700 this year, Jones said.

At the middle school, which houses grades 5 and 6, there's still room for growth, he said, "both in class sizes and some spare rooms."

Thanks to the voters approving the district's building bond issue, patrons will see some construction action this year.

The North Elementary addition will be bid out first, Jones said, thez the new science and math building at the high school.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night approved abandoning part of Madison Street to let the school district take it over for construction of the new building.

On Tuesday, Jones met with Missouri Highway and Transportation Department engineers to discuss location of an entrance way and utilities for the new elementary school planned for Highway 25 and Boehme Lane at the south end of the district.

District workers also "did quite a bit" of work getting the buildings ready for the school year, including routine maintenance and cleaning and construction of new facilities, Jones said.

A playground at West Lane Elementary, some roofing work at the high school and seeding of two new ballfields at Orchard Drive Elementary need to be finished. Missouri National Guard personnel built the new ballfields, Jones said.

Two new classrooms were constructed at the old auto mechanics building at the high school and additional parking was created at the middle school, he said.