GOSHEN — For the second year in a row, preliminary enrollment data for elementary school students indicate record-breaking numbers for Goshen Community Schools.
The news was presented during a meeting of the Goshen Board of School Trustees Monday. Board members learned that last year’s record-breaking kindergarten class has now been topped, making the 2010-2011 kindergarten class the largest class in corporation history.
According to GCS Superintendent Bruce Stahly, last year’s kindergarten class was 529 students.
"I kept saying there was no way we’d do that again this year," Stahly said. "This year we’ll be dangerously close to 580."
Stahly indicated that enrollment numbers are also up significantly in the first-grade class this year, with a total population increase across K-5 reported at roughly 100 students.
Due to the student population jump, Stahly said, corporation elementary schools staff are dealing with some larger than average classroom sizes due in large part to the corporation’s decision not to add additional kindergarten teachers for the new school year.
"We never anticipated being up that much," Stahly said, "so class sizes are a bit larger."
Even so, Stahly said he is pleased with the student numbers, and as of this point has not encountered any issues with lack of classroom space for the students.
"I think it’s a good thing," Stahly said.
Population numbers for the corporation’s middle school students was also presented Monday, topping out at 1,423 for the 2010-2011 school year — a number almost on par with the 2009-2010 student population.
Referencing the large middle school population, Stahly indicated that student numbers are actually approaching the projected 1,500 mark used by the corporation in mid-2007 to justify a call for the construction of a new fifth-sixth grade building. The proposal was later scrapped due to financial concerns following the onset of the economic downturn.
"The numbers are getting close to what we were projecting," Stahly said, adding that he anticipates reaching that 1,500 mark at the middle school within the very near future.
Regarding student numbers at the high school level, Stahly indicated that a count has not yet been completed, though he anticipates class population numbers should be available by the next school board meeting on Sept. 13.
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