Cove schools' numbers increase
Posted On: Wednesday, Jan. 7 2009 02:29 AM
By Rebecca LaFlure
Killeen Daily HeraldCOPPERAS COVE – While students from the Copperas Cove Independent School District returned to their regular school schedule Tuesday after a two-week holiday break, Deputy Superintendent Bobby Ott planned how to appropriately handle the school district's ongoing population growth.
Ott said CCISD reached its peak enrollment this December, while the student population typically peaks in September. He said he is uncertain of the factors contributing to the school district's late enrollment peak, but mentioned that other districts in the area have experienced a decrease in their student bodies while CCISD's continues to grow.
Ott said CCISD had increased from 7,747 students enrolled in the 2006-07 school year to 7,852 students in 2007-08.
The trend continued this school year with 7,976 currently enrolled students.
Killeen Independent School District's enrollment, however, was roughly 900 to 1,200 students below projections in December, according to interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Muller. Due to the declining enrollment numbers, KISD will be forced to cut its budget between $4 million to $5.5 million in fiscal year 2010.
Stewart Speer, Gatesville Independent School District's superintendent, said Gatesville has seen a slight reduction in their
enrollment numbers as well. "We have seen a small decrease. I can't tell you the exact number, but we have dropped a bit," Speer said. "We had some early graduates in December, but we are getting some new kids in too, ? It (enrollment) has stabilized; at best, it may be a small decrease."
Because of CCISD's significant student growth, Ott said one of his goals this year is to form a Facilities Study Committee to determine the top priorities for Copperas Cove schools, and evaluate which facilities are adequate and which need to be either renovated or replaced.
Ott said the group members will look at every school in CCISD and every facility. They will take into account the schools' current needs and demographics.
"We have some facilities that certainly aged, and we also have continued growth," Ott said. "We would like to conduct a study so our board and school administration would have a good idea in terms of what facilities that we would possibly need in the next one to three years, maybe next three to five years, and so on."
The committee will be comprised of representatives from local businesses and the community, parents, administrators and possibly some board members. The group will also include several nonvoting members.
Ott is in the process of sending letters to potential members and hopes to have the first committee meeting by the spring.
He stressed that he wants community involvement and hopes to organize a "good mix membership that will represent the citizens of Copperas Cove."
Contact Rebecca LaFlure at
rlaflure@kdhnews.com or 501-7475.