Published: September 29, 2009 09:52 pm      

Enrollment at all time high at OISD

Attendance dips because of flu

ORANGEFIELD — Attendance may be low in the school district because of the current flu outbreak and other illnesses, but enrollment is at an all time high.

According to Philip Welch, Orangefield Independent School District superintendent, enrollment has reached its highest level ever at OISD and surpassed previous school year’s post-Hurricane Ike figures.

“We have steadily increased our enrollment for the year and currently have 1,751 students in the school district,” Welch said. “It’s higher than at any point from the previous year, and any school year prior to it.”

According to information provided by the school district, Orangefield ISD had a student enrollment of 1,702 children at the district’s three campuses on Aug. 24, 2009, which was the first day of instruction of the current school year.

On the 10th day of instruction, Sept. 4, the district reported an enrollment count of 1,755 students, which is four more students than Monday’s report. Welch said enrollment numbers tend to fluctuate through Labor Day and believes enrollment will remain close to Monday’s figure.

Welch also said the biggest increase in enrollment has come at Orangefield Elementary, which educates students from Pre-kindergarten through fourth grades. The campus has a current enrollment of approximately 670 children, which is an increase of 11 students since the first day of instruction.

Despite the surge in enrollment, attendance has been on the decline since school began.

Welch informed the Orangefield ISD Board of Trustees that attendance has been consistently at or below 95 percent for the district for much of September.

“That is well below what we consider normal attendance levels,” Welch explained. “We haven’t been above 95 percent student attendance since before Labor Day.”

Welch said that although each campus has experienced it share of higher than expected student absences, attendance appears to be improving on a near-daily basis and he hopes to return to above 96 percent attendance figures very soon.

He also said the Building and Grounds Committee held a meeting prior to Monday’s school board meeting and is considering the possible use of modular buildings for the Life Skills class at Orangefield High School. Welch said nothing official has been decided and that the committee is still researching options.



Tommy Mann Jr. is a reporter for The Orange Leader. He can be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com