Student enrollment at schools growing more slowly

Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) bucked its growth trend for the second year in a row, adding only 156 new students this year, according to the latest enrollment numbers submitted to the Virginia Department of Education.

The increase brings the total number of county students to 58,571, which includes 352 students who attend governor's schools.

For years, Chesterfield student enrollments increased by about a 1,000 students each year, filling most county schools to capacity and forcing many schools to hold classes in trailers. This year's trailer count totals 253 with the most mobile units found at Manchester Middle (20), Falling Creek Middle (16), Robious Middle (16), Thomas Dale High (13) and Midlothian Middle (12).

At the elementary level, half of the county's 38 schools are operating at or above capacity with Hopkins Road and Bellwood experiencing the largest space crunch. With a functional capacity of 495 students, Hopkins Road's current student enrollment is 631 - 27 percent over capacity. At Bellwood, 454 students attend classes in a building with a function capacity of only 361 - 26 percent over capacity.

Other elementary schools operating over capacity include Clover Hill (18 percent), Watkins (17 percent), Weaver (17 percent) and Gates (14 percent).

Only three of the county's 14 middle schools are over capacity. They are Robious (8 percent), Manchester (6 percent) and Falling Creek (3 percent).

Overcrowding at the middle school level has been greatly relieved by the opening of two new schools in the Matoaca and Bermuda districts earlier this fall. Swift Creek Middle, once one of the most overcrowded schools in the county, is now operating at 93 percent.

At the high school level, five of the county's 11 schools are suffering from overcrowding. Thomas Dale is 31 percent over capacity with 2,432 students attending classes in a building with a functional capacity of only 1,851. Other overcrowded high schools include Meadowbrook (26 percent), Matoaca (11 percent), Cosby (9 percent) and L.C. Bird (4 percent).

A replacement high school for Clover Hill is currently under construction on Genito Road and is anticipated to open in fall 2010.

The county is expected to come to voters in 2012 seeking more funding to build additional schools during a bond referendum.

The school system has also organized a task force to look at alternative ways to relieve overcrowding, such as offering more online classes and year-round school. That task force is expected to present recommendations to the school board later this year.