District Enrollment Up 746

SPRINGDALE — The school district’s enrollment has officially topped 20,000.

There are 20,121 students in Springdale’s 27 schools, according to a count taken Monday. That’s 746 more students than were recorded last year at this time, a 3.8 percent increase. It is another record-high enrollment for the district.

The annual count on the first day of October helps determine how much state money each school district receives.

Springdale officials enroll an additional 600 students in its prekindergarten classes, but the state doesn’t pay for prekindergarten. Those students aren’t included in the official count.

The district counted 1,779 students at the kindergarten level. Kindergarten-level enrollment is increasing every year, said Kathy Morledge, assistant superintendent.

“As you go up in grade level, you see fewer kids,” Morledge said. “So that tells me we are growing.”

Monitor, Jones and Turnbow elementary schools saw the greatest growth percentagewise this year. Each one grew by about 20 percent from last year.

Monitor Elementary School has eight kindergarten classes with a total of 160 kids.

Much of the district’s growth is on the east side of town, where both Monitor and Turnbow are located, Morledge said. Both schools’ enrollments are within their capacities.

The opening of a fourth middle school this year took care of overcrowding at Helen Tyson and J.O. Kelly middle schools, both of which saw their enrollments drop this year by about 35 percent.

“We have halls you can walk through again,” said Sara Ford, Kelly principal. “This is much better.”

Springdale’s three junior highs enroll 2,937 students, an average of 979 per building. A fourth junior high is scheduled to open next school year.

Enrollment at the high school level, including alternative learning students, is 4,139.

Springdale High School has gained 200 students since last year, a 10 percent increase. Har-Ber High School saw a more modest increase of 61 students, or 3.7 percent.