By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Once again, Pulaski County Special School District’s eighth-day enrollment count has declined, although not as dramatically as in some previous years. And once again, Cabot school enrollment has increased, topping 10,300.
This year’s total in PCSSD is 16,792 students, down from last year’s 16,915. That’s a loss of 123 students.
In the Sherwood zone, Sylvan Hills Elementary de-clined from 382 students last year to 356 this year. Oakbrooke increased four students to 537. Clinton Elementary declined 11 students to 760; Sherwood Elementary had 346 students, a decline of 34;
Sylvan Hills Middle School picked up 33 students for an enrollment of 678 and Sylvan Hills High School increased 62 students for an enrollment of 833.
In Zone 5, which includes north Pulaski County and parts of Jacksonville, Cato lost 23 students, for an enrollment of 324; Arnold Drive had 245 students, an increase of 28; Bayou Meto had 363, a loss of 15 students; Dupree enrollment was 309, an increase of 15; Northwood Middle School had 571 students, down 36; Tolleson 326, a decrease of seven students, and North Pulaski High School remained the same at 805 students.
In Zone 6, the other Jackson-ville schools, enrollment edged up at Jacksonville High School, Pinewood Elementary and Taylor Elementary.
Jacksonville High School increased seven students to 941; Pinewood increased 18 to 422 and Taylor increased six to 394.
Jacksonville Middle School declined 29 students to 666 and Jacksonville Elementary School had the largest loss in the zone, 103 students to a total of 320.
Overall, zones 6, 5 and 1 lost students this year, the others gained.
Cabot’s enrollment has been on the rise since school started. It was 9,904 on the first day and 10,069 on Tuesday. Neither number included the district’s 260 pre-K students.
At this time last year, Cabot’s enrollment was 9,901, an increase of 168, which is much less than increases of previous years of 300 to 400.
Thurman said the smaller increase is what was expected considering the economy, but he added, “It’s still a good thing that people are still moving to Cabot.”
Beebe’s enrollment of 3,310 is essentially the same as last year, said Scott Embry, assistant superintendent. That number includes 95 pre-K students.
Beebe was closed for teacher training on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day when many schools see a change in enrollment, and Embry said that number might increase when students come back from the holiday.
