Welcome to the School Zone, WTOP’s weekly feature about the latest topics and trends in education across the D.C. region.
What to know about the latest enrollment data:
How many kids have returned to the classroom across the D.C. region?
That’s top of mind for school system leaders, who use the number of students enrolled for budget planning.
School systems across the D.C. region keep track of the number of students they have regularly, but pay particularly close attention to a preliminary count in the first days of school in the fall, and then do a finalized count later.
In Virginia, for one, the state provides a 30-day enrollment snapshot for attendance on Sept. 30.
What it means: The pandemic prompted most jurisdictions across the D.C. area to host classes online for months, and now, all eyes are on enrollment data to see the number of students who have returned.
While many students had the opportunity to return to the classroom in 2021, some remained at home and took virtual classes. Some parents also considered delaying the start of early childhood classes until vaccines became available for that age group.
Virginia data from last year revealed a drop of 46,000 students enrolled in the state’s public schools. Fairfax County Public Schools, the state’s largest district, saw the largest dip in enrollment based on fall 2021 data.
Regional snapshot: Though the numbers could change, some school systems in Virginia have already reported their Sept. 30 enrollment counts. The state does offer counties a window for things like resubmissions and corrections.
The school board in Loudoun County was briefed on enrollment this week — the school system says 82,233 students were counted on Sept. 30. Last year, its Sept. 30 enrollment was 81,642.
A spokesman said Arlington’s Sept. 30 enrollment was 27,455. Last year, it was 27,045.
Prince William County, the state’s second-largest school system, reported 90,226 students at the end of September. It’s 2021 count was 90,139 students.
Data for Fairfax County Public Schools and Alexandria City Public Schools haven’t been made public yet.
City officials in D.C. took an annual count Oct. 5, but that data won’t be finalized and included in an audit report until early next year.
School systems in Maryland haven’t finalized their enrollment counts yet or reported them to the state, but a spokeswoman said Prince George’s County Public Schools currently has 131,304 students enrolled.
A state planning report released last year found Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Howard counties are projected to experience the largest increase in enrollment in 2030, when compared to 2020.
Talking points: This week, Loudoun County, Virginia, officials at a school board meeting said the county gained 241 students since its Day 10 count.
Kevin Lewis, the county’s chief operations officer, said, “Generally, grades one through five did exceed our projections.”
Last month, Prince William County School Board member Jennifer Wall said dramatic fluctuations in enrollment could be felt at the school level, because school staffing numbers are tied to the number of students who attend a particular school.
By the numbers:
Some data that will catch your eye this week.
Standardized test scores: The average score on the ACT for the class of 2022 was 19.8 out of 36, The Associated Press reported, the first time in over 20 years that the average score fell below 20.
About 42% of students who took the test in the class of 2022 didn’t meet benchmarks in English, reading, science and math. ACT CEO Janet Godwin said this year’s decline is alarming, despite the fact there have been declines in the last few years.
The average class of 2022 average for the SAT was 1,050. Fairfax County, Virginia, officials said in a newsletter this week that for students in Virginia’s largest school system, the mean score is 1,185.
What Scott’s Reading:
- MCPS anti-racist audit highlights areas of concern, steps toward equity [WTOP]
- 3 out of jobs in wake of fight at Gaithersburg-Northwest high school football game [WTOP]
- Loudoun Co. school board to weigh name changes for 10 schools [WTOP]
- Prince William Co. middle school student charged with hate crime against classmate [WTOP]
- County board approves funds for hiring bonuses, school stadium bathrooms [FFX Now]
- D.C. Council could delay coronavirus vaccine mandate for kids [Washington Post]
- Virginia Attorney General Miyares to discuss school safety with Alexandria leaders [ALX Now]
Field Trip:
Here’s a fun thought ahead of the weekend.
Food and football: Thai food with friends is on the docket for Friday night, and football is slated for Saturday. No matter how much I suffer watching losing teams, I always return.
