JACKSON SIGNS 2,000TH PUPIL

JACKSON -- When 10-year-old Rodney Ivie received a fancy certificate and Jackson Indians T-shirt, he didn't understand all the fuss.

But Ivie's enrollment in West Lane Elementary School was a milestone for Jackson Public Schools.

He was the 2,000th student enrolled in the elementary section, which includes kindergarten through sixth grade in seven separate school buildings.

A few weeks after Ivie enrolled, the number of elementary students was up to 2,010.

"Think about it," West Lane Principal Stan Smee said. "We've never had that many kids in this district. Three years ago, we only had about 1,700."

Total enrollment in the system is 3,825, just 600 behind Cape Girardeau Public Schools' total enrollment.

Cape Girardeau's six elementary schools held 2,298 students as of Sept. 28.

Yet the city of Jackson is much smaller than its neighbor.

Smee, along with Director of Elementary Education Joe Crain, credit home construction with the student population's growth. Several subdivisions are under construction, Crain said, and mobile homes frequently pull into the 550-square-mile district.

Jackson's reputation as a peaceful community helps, too, he said.

However, growth has its drawbacks.

"This year, we're at capacity," Smee said. "When we get a new student, we have to assess where to put him."

Even outlying schools are full, leaving only one empty classroom in Burfordville.

Before the 1990 construction of Orchard Elementary, University of Missouri researchers came to the Jackson district to project its growth. So far, actual numbers are running well ahead of projections.

Researchers predicted there would be a total of 4,000 students in the district by the year 2000. In 1994, there are only 175 to go.

"It's scary to think of how many we will really have by the year 2000," Smee said.

The district hired additional elementary teachers to keep class sizes in the mid-20s, but space still is a problem. The new middle school, which will house sixth- and seventh-graders after its 1995 completion, will free up both elementary and junior high classrooms.

Superintendent Wayne Maupin expects more answers at the next school board meeting. An architect will speak about long-range plans for the district, including expansion options for a number of buildings.

"The future depends on how much we grow," Maupin said. "Who knows? We may get another 100 or so kids soon."