High growth causes District 202 to amend attendance zones for Ridge Elementary School
From the Desk of Superintendent Harper
We just celebrated Thanksgiving and already we have added more than 2,500 new students to our school community since the close of the 2003-2004 year. Hundreds of more students are anticipated this year as families continue to move into our district’s 64-square-mile boundaries. Our student enrollment is up throughout the district and we have been working diligently to find creative space solutions to meet the learning needs of the 21,900+ students at our 21 campuses.
As an administrative team, district office staff, principals, and I have met to develop a plan to address the continued growth. A thorough review of projected growth in consultation with home developers shows that the number of students expected at Ridge Elementary School will be larger than capacity.
To curb future enrollment at Ridge Elementary School, the District has established the following plan:
- As of the close of school business on November 24, 2004 new elementary registrants who live in Caton Ridge West, Cumberland and Kendall Ridge subdivisions will attend River View Elementary School for the remainder of the 2004-2005 school year.
- They will join their subdivision peers for the 2005-2006 school year. The administration is currently preparing a recommendation to the Board of Education to establish attendance zones for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 in anticipation of the opening of new schools for those years.
- Students currently enrolled from these subdivisions will not be affected.
- The middle school and high school attendance areas for these subdivisions will not be changed.
- Even while accommodating growth from both Lincoln and Ridge Elementary Schools, projected enrollment at River View will remain at a level in line with our other elementary campuses.
We continue to keep a close eye on enrollment at each of our campuses and will work to take appropriate action as needed. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support as we manage the rapid growth of our school district.
