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photo by Hannah Reel
Right, McLaurin Elementary School computer lab teacher Tonika Green monitors the children as they walk out to the buses after school Friday.
Officials think losses in county student enrollment leveling off
Published Sunday, October 11, 2009
NATCHEZ — Children in Natchez schools aren’t saying goodbye to many of their friends anymore.
A decade of decline in enrollment numbers in the public schools and many of the private ones has leveled off over the last two years, area administrators said.
And the flat numbers, though not as good as growth would be, represent something good for the community — stability.
Natchez-Adams School District Superintendent Anthony Morris said he believes the enrollment figures from the past 10 years were adversely affected by the state of business and economy within the county.
“We’ve had some downsizing with some of the businesses,” Morris said.
In the early 2000s, several industrial plants closed or downsized, including the closure of International Paper in 2003, Johns Manville, Titan Tire and a layoff at Dynasteel.
Morris and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Charlotte Franklin said the changes in local industry drove many families out of the county in search of jobs.
But this year, enrollment at the public schools saw only a 0.7 percent drop — one not worth worry, Franklin said.
Enrollment in the Natchez-Adams School District is 3,957 this year, down only 31 students from last year.
“Thirty students would not be considered to be a significant drop,” Franklin said. “In fact, the numbers are fairly stable if that’s all there is.”
With the numbers leveling and schools retaining children, administrators said they believe not only are students staying in the school system, but businesses, jobs and families are staying in the community.
“We’ve had a steady decline in enrollment of approximately 100 students a year for the past 10 years with the exception of this year,” Franklin said.
Morris said ending the years of declining enrollments is the beginning of growth. Along with the economy’s stabilization, he expects to see recovering numbers in his school district.
“I think and hope this stabilization is the beginning of the turnaround,” Morris said.
Adams County Christian School and Cathedral School saw minimal changes in enrollment this year, while Trinity had a 7.5 percent drop.
Last year enrollment at Adams County Christian School was 410 students; this year enrollment is 408 students.
Cathedral School was the only educational institution to experience growth in its enrollment numbers, growing from 611 students last year to 618 this year.
Cathedral High School Principal Pat Sanguinetti said he did not think the current national economy was an issue within the private school sector of education.
Sanguinetti said there is a continuous fluctuation when it comes to private, Christian educational institutions, and that numbers usually fall further into the school year.
“We get some of theirs, and they get some of ours,” Sanguinetti said. “(Our enrollment) will go down as the year goes on.”
However, Brenda Gousset, ACCS’ bookkeeper, said the economy did come into play for the school’s enrollment numbers.
“I think we lost some (students) last year because of the economy and parents losing jobs and having to move out of the area,” Gousset said. “But people are starting to move into our area.”
Gousset said while ACCS’ enrollment might have dropped slightly for the year, the school’s elementary program is growing to the point that two classes are required to accommodate kindergartners and first and second graders.
And while ACCS is seeing an influx in early elementary children, Cathedral’s Development Office Coordinator Stephanie Matheney said her school is seeing less pre-kindergarten students than usual.
“We have fewer 3-year-olds this year — almost by half,” Matheney said.
Matheney attributes some of the changes in class make-ups to being cyclical based on birth rates differing from year to year.
Trinity Episcopal Day School’s enrollment last year was 333; this year it is 308.
Comments
Posted by concernedparent (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The economy had absolutely no effect on the reason for pulling my child out of the Natchez-Adams public school system two years ago. The entire blame goes to the school system and the way it has been run into the ground. Our quality of teachers have gone down with it. There are the select few that still actually TEACH the children. All the rest seem to know how to do is send the children home with handouts half the time not even explaining them. I still have another child enrolled and he is required to leave his books at home (this is fifth grade). They do not use the books in the classroom anymore and he seems lost when it comes to most of his homework. Thankfully i'm able to help him with any problems he may encounter but what about the children who don't have the parents there to assist them? They do get left behind, our scores prove that! People are flocking to Vidalia so they can send their children to school over there for free. That is what is happening with our schools. Something desperately needs to change. It doesn't help that our children are scared to attend school. When you ask the child what the problem is it usually comes down to an incident that was never reported to you as the parent. Stricter guidelines need to be set into place for these children. Parents need to be made accountable for what is happening as well. These are the problems with our school district NOT the economy in my opinion.
Posted by grungebob (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 11:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Or things are so bad some people are eating their young.
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 12:13 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by NatTaylor (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To Hardcorps, what an awful thing to say! It doesnt matter what color kids are. My child attends West and the ratio of white to black is very even and well balanced. My child is being brought up not to notice peoples color and to judge them based on their values and beliefs not on what color they are! Part of the reason our schools are in bad shape is not because only black children attend, its because of silly people like you who listen to gossip instead of visiting the schools and forming your own views. You spread your views around town and make it seem like the kids are doing crack and killing each other in the bathrooms. My son loves his school and the teachers are highly educated, well taught people who care. Instead of being negative why dont you stop by West one day and see whats really going on before you open your mouth and make rude comments about a school system that is not nearly as bad as you make it seem!
Posted by krjjsu (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@ Hardcorps... Where did you get your education from? Before you print information make sure you have checked for grammatical errors.... We sometimes hurt our ownselves with the things we say. The color of the CHILDREN should not matter. I'm attacking you with a positive message before something negative is said.
@concernedparent.. I'm an educator (5th) grade to be exact. The school books are so out of date and the material that has to be taught is at many times not in the school books.. Textbooks are now used as a reference. If you would see that we are having to teach according to more advanced levels... Although I don't teach in Natchez... I can say that a teacher who ONLY uses schoolbooks will be slighting your child of the skills needed to be successful in that grade and in his or her community.
Posted by lbiele2452 (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 3:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is a need to change leadership at Natchez Adams Schools.The overall rating of the public school in Adams county is down to an alltime 4 yr. low.While certain administrators pay increased,the rating of our schools has decreased.It is time for the taxpayers to take a stand and voice their opinions,or quit complaining about the problems and be the obidient sheep they want us to be.
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NatTaylor I don't spew anything around town. Ask rushing about my "conservative" idealogies. My grandson will be attending West next year. I asked a simple question. You and krjjsu need to loosen up a little and get those drawers unwadded.
krwhatever I have taught at the university level. This school district is in the hands of incompetents. The students do good to learn anything with the adults they have leading them.
Posted by krjjsu (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@hardwhatever...what university and what course did you teach??? You were probably one of those professors I would take to just boost my gpa not knowing I was only hurting myself.. I'm sure Natchez would do better if the training was better.. However, I'm not there so I can only assume.. I'm sure the teachers are doing the best they can.. Are the parents active in the school district or do they complain when little Johnny missed PE?
Posted by NatTaylor (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 4:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@hardcorps my drawers get a bit twisted when someone makes a comment that not only makes all white people look like racist nitwits but also does nothing postive for our school system. I agree about the problems in the school admin needing to be fixed but making rude racial comments is not going to help. Going to a PTA meeting or attending one of the school board meetings would be a better start dont you think?
Posted by mrbobo (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Segregate ! ! ! Seperate but equal ! ! ! It's the only way ! ! !
Posted by krjjsu (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 10:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
what would the SEPARATE BUT EQUAL CHANT PROVE... THE WORLD ISN't SEPARATE... That's one reason why many of our children have a lack of knowledge..because some of us don't teach them to be open minded...
Posted by msval68 (anonymous) on October 12, 2009 at 7:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am a former Natchez resident now living in Texas. In our district kids are issued books which they leave at home and use for homework assignments. At school they work from a classroom set of books which they can also use for after school tutorials. This prevents kids from lugging heavy backpacks to and from school daily.
Posted by Crakalakin (anonymous) on October 12, 2009 at 7:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
When I was in school, teachers didn't wear t-shirts and carry bull-horns. Is that youth correctional facility or a school?
You'd think if they impose dress codes for students, the teachers would have them as well.
Posted by generoberts (anonymous) on October 12, 2009 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
concurr!
"By any means necessary"
- Malcom X
Posted by juju (anonymous) on October 12, 2009 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Crakalakin, you're right. This is why they can't keep teachers in Natchez and Ferriday. 'REGULAR, NORMAL' teachers go in and try to use 'REGULAR, NORMAL' methods and it doesn't work. CONTROL in emphasized more that knowledge. And they chastise the teachers for NOT BEING ABLE, saying they're ineffective , and not the kids!
Posted by justthefacts (anonymous) on October 12, 2009 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is there such an obvious attempt by the incompetent staff at the Democrat to keep anti-white comments out of the forums?
It's very obvious. There are countless comments posted each day by hicks when it comes to African Americans that are derogatory. These are not removed but the slightest mention of something derogatory about causcasions are removed.
No wonder you're working (if you want to call it that) at the Natchez Democrat!
Posted by Crakalakin (anonymous) on October 13, 2009 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
justthefacts, what planet do you live on? Seriously. I read these comments sections every day starting at about 6:30. The moderators are quick to pull anti-bllack posts and I mean quick, as they should. However, they have to be alerted as when to pull the racist screeds from our black friends over in Wilkinson County. Those stayed up almost all day until the Democrat was essentially forced to close the whole threads because there were so damn many of them.
This is an article about schools. If you don't have a comment about schools, go to some black message board on the internet where you can gripe about whitey all day. This isn't the venue for it.
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