Schools cope with enrollments

Julie Cogburn didn't realize that leaving Houston to teach in Wake County meant her new classroom would be the corner of the school library. But that's where she teaches two English classes at Panther Creek High School in Cary because of student growth this year and delays in getting modular classrooms. It has forced Cogburn and her students to make adjustments.

"The kids could have made a fuss about it, but they didn't," she said. "They've been focused and worked through it."

Although Panther Creek is crowded, the reality is that overall growth has slowed this year for Triangle school districts.

There are pockets of crowding, but there also are areas where schools have empty seats.

Such situations could result in students moving to different schools next year.

The scenarios also could affect school construction bond issues that may go on the ballot.

Wake and Johnston counties, two of the fastest-growing school systems in the state, are both seeing fewer new students than they have in recent years.

Wake had 136,828 students Wednesday -- far short of its latest projection of 139,247 students this year.

Chuck Dulaney, Wake's assistant superintendent for growth and planning, said final numbers likely will show the district growing by 4,500 to 5,000 students this year. It could be the first time since 2003 that enrollment has grown by less than 5,000 students.

"It's in line with the national economy and a function of how home sales are slowing," Dulaney said. "Fewer people are moving into the county."

Slower growth in west

Johnston County enrolled 31,169 students Wednesday, 1,005 students more than the year before. Last year, the district added more than 2,000 students.

County school board Chairman Kay Carroll said the district expects its growth rate to slow to 3.5 percent from an average of 5 percent in recent years.

Growth is on a much smaller scale in the western Triangle.

Durham County has been growing at a slower rate, adding 750 students last school year and 250 in 2006, district spokeswoman Kay Williams said. Enrollment numbers for this year were not yet available.

What growth Durham has had is concentrated in a few schools, including Creekside Elementary near Chapel Hill, which opened two years ago and already has classrooms in trailers.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system had 11,737 students Tuesday, 34 over the district's projection for the year. The district has grown by 310 students over last year.

Chatham County had 7,716 students Wednesday. The district expects to grow by about 100 students, to a total of 7,800, this year.

The Orange County school system had 7,026 students Tuesday, just four short of the projection for this year. The district is on pace to grow by more than 50 students over last year's total.

Court ruling's effect

The impact of this year's student enrollment can vary widely across school districts.

Many of Wake's year-round schools are below their projected enrollment. Dulaney attributed the shortfall to more than 2,000 students who took advantage of a court ruling that requires Wake to get parental consent before sending students to year-round schools. The state Supreme Court is reviewing the court case.

Several of the traditional-calendar schools that these students have gone to are now well over their projected enrollment. For instance, Reedy Creek Elementary in Cary is 143 students over its projected enrollment.

Trent Evans, principal of Reedy Creek, said he's looking to hire three more teachers. Funding for teachers is based on student enrollment.