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Fewer students leads to funding shortfall
CCPS had estimated student enrollment to increase 1,076 students to 59,004 this year. On average, county schools typically grow by about 1,000 students annually. The state uses student enrollment to calculate funding, allocating about $3,650 per child. Since CCPS came up far shorter than its prediction, it stands to lose more than $2 million this year. "We will have to recommend to the school board reductions in our current funding plan, and that will be done in November," said Debra Marlow, the school system's director of community relations. When asked how the school system plans to make up the funding shortfall, Marlow said, "I can't answer that right now. I think we will look at tightening our belt, but I don't anticipate it will affect the classroom or the staff." Marlow attributed the projection glitch to "influences that are probably outside of our county," adding that the waning housing market nationally could be a factor. Administrators will present an adjusted budget to the school board at its Nov. 13 meeting. Overcrowding still a problem This year's trailer count at county schools totals 303 - up from 284 last year - with 51 of those being used at Marguerite Christian Elementary, Spring Run Elementary and the Enon Annex to house students for two new elementary schools expected to open sometime after the first of the year [see separate story on this page for more details]. Schools with the most trailers include Manchester Middle [21], Swift Creek Middle [18], Falling Creek Middle [16], Robious Middle [16] and Thomas Dale High School [13]. At the elementary level, slightly more than half of the county's 38 schools are operating above capacity with O.B. Gates experiencing the largest space crunch. With a functional capacity of 692 students, the school's current student enrollment is 857 students - 24 percent overcapacity. Bellwood Elementary is in a similar situation with 437 students attending school in a building that was only designed for 361, bringing it to 21 percent overcapacity. Other elementary schools operating overcapacity include Hopkins Road [18 percent], Clover Hill [16 percent], Bettie Weaver [16 percent] and Hening [12 percent]. Seven of the county's 12 middle schools are overcapacity. Once again this year, Swift Creek Middle shows the largest space gap with 1,523 students attending classes in a school only built for 1,027 - 48 percent overcapacity. Overcrowding there will be relieved when a new middle school opens in nearby Centerpointe next fall. Other middle schools operating overcapacity include Chester [17 percent], Midlothian [16 percent] and Manchester [13 percent] At the high school level, six of the county's 10 schools are suffering from overcrowding. Meadowbrook is 28 percent overcapacity while Thomas Dale is a close second at 27 percent. The school system is currently building two new middle schools - one in Centerpointe and the other in the Bermuda District - to help combat overcrowding in those areas. A referendum is expected in 2012 to build additional schools - most notably, an elementary school and a high school to handle students coming from the 4,998-home Branner Station community being built near Chester.
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