Enrollment Continues To Climb In Lincoln Schools

By: 10/11 News Email

Posted: Fri 3:03 PM, Sep 28, 2012

New numbers show that enrollment at Lincoln Public Schools continues to climb.

This year, classrooms are welcoming 417 more students than last year - with increases in student enrollment across the community - a boost that is the equivalent to growing one full elementary school.

LPS enrollment has grown 10.5 percent over the last five years from 33,410 students in the 2007-08 school year - to this year’s 36,902 students.

The school district has one elementary school containing more than 800 students and two elementary schools with more than 700 students - one middle school with more than 1,000 students and one with more than 900 - and three high schools pushing enrollments of 2,000.

District officials say that they have room for most of the students, but some schools are beginning to feel crowded.

Roper Elementary School in west Lincoln has the largest grade school enrollment with 837 students, however, the school actually has more room to learn with a complete new annex added for fourth and fifth graders.

The new Kloefkorn Elementary School in southeast Lincoln has eased the enrollment at nearby Maxey Elementary School.

Lux Middle School is the largest middle level facility this year with 1.002 students.

Lincoln Southeast High School has the largest enrollment for high schools with 1,922 students, but Lincoln North Star (the newest high school in the school district now celebrating its first decade of education) is right behind with 1,885 students - and Lincoln Southwest High School has 1,844.

The total growth this school year is actually smaller than in the recent past because of a new state law rolling back the eligibility entry date for new students. At the same time this year, there are some unexpected increased numbers for English Language Learner students, refugees and immigrants from other countries.

In addition, LPS officials expect next year’s kindergarten class to be among the largest once again - and total enrollment numbers to return to larger numbers for the 2013-14 school year.

The school district uses official birth records and other statistics to project student growth, where new additions and new schools may be necessary, and how soon.

Even with the slight decrease in kindergarten class size, the school district saw another year of overall student growth spread throughout most schools and classes - with increases at both the larger and smaller schools.

Elementary
Largest: Roper Elementary School, 837 students
Smallest: Norwood Elementary School, 184 students

Middle
Largest: Lux Middle School, 1,022
Smallest: Dawes Middle School, 395

High school
Largest: Lincoln Southeast High School, 1,922
Smallest: Lincoln Northeast High School, 1,436