Published: November 08, 2009 04:23 pm      

Schools’ enrollment up slightly

No staffing cuts due to a decrease in student numbers, Blackwell says

Wyoming County Schools’ enrollment has increased a bit this year over last.

This year, there are 4,161 students enrolled in the county school system — 21 more than the previous year, according to county Schools Superintendent Frank Blackwell.

The state counts the students enrolled on the last day of the second school month, which was Oct. 15.

This is good news for the school system, Blackwell said, there will be no staffing cuts due to a decrease in student numbers.

State reimbursement for staff salaries and benefits is based on second-month student enrollment figures — the fewer students, the fewer staff members the state will fund.

“Thank goodness we’re holding our own,” Blackwell said. “We’ve fluttered around the 4,000 figure for a long time.

‘‘For about four years now, we’ve been real close to the 4,000 range.”

The number of students has steadily declined to less than half the enrollment in the last quarter century — from 8,596 to 4,140.

Nearly a dozen schools have been closed during that time frame as well.

In 2006-07, the system had 4,123 students, which was 94 fewer than the previous year, based on final official figures.

In the 2005-06, the system had an increase in students — the first since the 1982-83 school year. That year, the enrollment increased by 28 students.

The county showed a gain again in 2007-08, when the enrollment increased by 19 students.

“We’re down about 100 students over the past seven years or so,” Blackwell explained.

“Thank goodness we’re back on the climb.

“With different things going on around here, who knows, we could climb again next year,” he said.

Officials hope the opening of the new federal prison across the Wyoming County border in McDowell County will add to the enrollment. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is now accepting resumes online and the warden has been hired.

Available housing in Wyoming County will play a vital role in that, however, and there is no new housing construction, nor is there much of a selection in established housing, according to officials.