School Enrollment Flat After Years Of Increases

SEBRING - The steady 2 percent student enrollment growth in Highlands County during the past six years has come to a screeching halt.

The 2007 mid-year grand total enrollment, including the Hopewell Academy and homebound students, matched the 2006 enrollment exactly at 12,435.

After years of steady and robust enrollment growth in most areas of the state, school districts noticed a leveling off of growth about two years ago. Some attributed the slow down to rising housing prices and property taxes, which prompted families with young children look elsewhere to live.

The Lakeland Ledger reported in November that enrollment growth in Polk County schools has nearly come to a halt, after years of significant increases. Florida public school enrolled 6,000 fewer students in 2006-07 than the year before.

In Highlands County, Hispanic enrollment continues to increase as white and black enrollment declines.

Highlands today reported at the beginning of the 2007 school year that Hispanic student enrollment jumped 52 percent in six years.

Following are comparisons of the Dec. 22, 2006 and Dec. 21, 2007 enrollment numbers, according to data supplied by the School Board of Highlands County:

Hispanic enrollment increased 2.3 percent from 3,067 to 3,139.
Asian enrollment increased 4.5 percent from 156 to 163.
Black enrollment dropped 2 percent from 2,253 to 2,209.
White enrollment dipped by 1 percent from 6,552 to 6,488.
Kindergarten enrollment dropped by 4.5 percent from 1,050 to 1,003.

School enrollment peaks during the winter with the influx of migrant workers.

Hispanic enrollment now reaches 25 percent (currently 25.2 percent) during the winter months.

Student growth has been outpacing the district's efforts to expand existing campuses and build new schools as portable classrooms have become commonplace at every school site. The Kindergarten Learning Center opened this year and Memorial Elementary School is on schedule to open in August.