NEW TIDAL WAVE OF STUDENTS HAS ARRIVED

Anyone born before or during the baby-boom generation is aware of the tsunami effect on schools: Elementary classrooms swelled in the early 1950s, followed by overflowing high schools and overcrowded colleges and universities. Then there was a dramatic drop in students, resulting in empty classrooms, abandoned schools and struggling college enrollments.

Watch out. There's another wave coming. This year will see school enrollments crest at a record 52.2 million students. The growth will continue through 2007 and peak at 54.3 million students.

Why? Baby boomers are having children too -- and later in life. There has been a wave of immigration. Birth rates among some minorities, especially Hispanics, is up. And students are staying in school longer.

All of which means districts will need to provide facilities and teachers for all those students. Thankfully, this area seems well-positioned to handle the influx, thanks to aggressive building programs that have been approved by voters.