ENROLLMENT TRENDS: SCHOOLS HANDLE GROWTH ISSUES, FLUCTUATING ENROLLMENT IN COUNTY'S DISTRICTS

The combination of industrial growth and increased housing construction in Cape Girardeau County should result in increased enrollment for several of the county's five school districts.

More new housing developments are under construction as the county prepares for the expansion of several local industries, including Procter & Gamble and Biokyowa. As hiring begins and new families move into the area, local school districts are projecting slight to major enrollment increases in coming years.

Cape Girardeau School District posted a modest enrollment increase last year, and Superintendent Dr. Dan Tallent said it may have been the beginning of a turnaround for what has typically been flat enrollment in recent years.

The district should benefit from industrial growth and numerous development projects, as well as passage of a bond issue that will help build new schools and renovate existing buildings in the next five years, he said.

"I would say we're probably going to be pretty flat next year, but I think you'll see us begin to make a small increase from here on," he said. "I think the Cape Girardeau district has always been perceived as having a quality program, but new buildings and things that look new may attract some people that are looking for that."

Over the past five years, the Jackson School District has broken several enrollment records and stands to benefit most from Procter and Gamble's expansion. Already, 26 new faculty members have been hired to fill vacancies, particularly at South Elementary School, which opens in August.

School officials said real estate agents have been taking more requests from people interested in seeing homes in Jackson, which could translate into increased enrollment.

"I think it is a general thing, but I think we may be getting a larger than proportionate share of new patrons moving into the area," said Jackson Superintendent Dr. Howard Jones. The new positions will handle new and built-up growth to reduce class sizes, he said.

Assistant Superintendent Fred Jones said a facilities committee has already recommended Jackson school officials begin preparing to build another elementary school within the next five years.

Enrollment is expected to increase by 3 percent to nearly 4,400 students in the next school year, and the addition of all-day kindergarten throughout the district will likely increase total enrollment to another record this year, he said.

Growth is especially large in the district's elementary grades. Increases in the secondary classes will be helped by the opening of the new Math and Science Building, which will provide a "home base" in the high school for teachers who have been "traveling" from one empty room to the next throughout the school day in past years, Fred Jones said.

"I think everyone has kind of got their mind-set that we'll probably be needing another elementary building within the next five years," he said. "We'll have some big classes to prepare for, but we've added enough staff at least in the primary grades to keep class sizes down."

Nell Holcomb school district should benefit from its close proximity to Procter & Gamble, while Delta schools superintendent Tom Allen said he doesn't anticipate any new growth for the next school year.

The Delta district is fairly rural and would mean at least a 20-mile commute to area industries, he said. In addition, housing is also limited.

"As far as business expansion, I don't see that benefiting us," he said. "Housing is really limited in our district. I've had families tell me they wanted to move here but can't find a place to move into. I've talked to people that would like to see some expansion, but there's no developments here at all for that."

School officials at the smaller districts said they would all welcome new families into their districts. Class sizes are fairly small in the Delta, Nell Holcomb and Oak Ridge school districts. Many of the districts are trying to maintain and upgrade their facilities for students old and new.

Said Allen: "We'll be open for more people if they want to move in. At our size we could stand an enrollment increase without any trouble."