Enrollment down by 18

Albany Independent School District student enrollment number totals for the beginning of a new school year dropped below 500 for the first time since 2014.

A total of 491 pupils were registered for the 2018-2019 term on Monday, Aug. 20, a few more than at the start of 2014, but 18 less than the 509 on the rolls at the onset of school last year, and 27 below the 518 students enrolled at the comparable time in 2016. There were 505 enrollees at the beginning of the fall semester in 2015, 481 in 2014, and 489 in 2013.

Registration numbers at the start of this week were 272 at Nancy Smith Elementary School, 73 at the junior high, and 146 at Albany High.

Elementary School

The 41 kindergartners at NSES will be divided into three classes again this year. 

Twelve children are entered in Head Start and 10 qualified for pre-K.

Other class totals at the elementary campus include 40 in first grade, 30 in second, 31 third graders, and 39 in fourth grade. Thirty students are in fifth grade and 39 are in sixth. 

The 272 enrollees at NSES this year is down by six from last year, where 278 began the year, and a drop of 21 compared to the 293 at the elementary campus in 2016.

Secondary Campus

Tabulations at the secondary level showed 73 students registered for junior high classes, an increase of one from last year’s 72. Thirty-nine of those are in seventh grade, and 34 in eighth.

There were 10 less students registered at the high school this week than the 2017 first day totals.

Attending AHS this year are 28 seniors, 46 juniors, 34 sophomores, and 38 freshmen.

The secondary campus saw an overall decrease of nine students, from 228 in 2017 to 219 this year. Two years ago the junior/senior high started with 225 scholars.

“At this time I think we pretty much have everyone we expected to enroll this year,” said secondary campus principal Edward Morales. 

Day One

Administrators reported that things went well with very few problems during the typically busy first day.

“It went smoothly,” said NSES administrative assistant Stephanie Gleitz. “We are off to a really good start.”

Morales concurred.

“School is off to a great start, and things are going well,” the principal said. 

The new school year just began last week, but fall athletics are already underway at the high school and Morales reminded all students attending games to abide by district policy which, along with other regulations, prohibits students from playing under the bleachers or freely roaming the grounds during the games. 

“We are getting into a groove with extra-curricular activities at the gym and at the football field,” Morales said. “All students not participating need to be in the stands.”