by Lauren Krupar
Reporter
Peninsula -- More than 650 students have registered to attend Woodridge High School, a number district officials expect to increase before school starts at the end of August.
"We don't have near the number of students leaving the district as we used to," District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Graham said. "It's a compliment but with that, we have issues we need to address. We're crowded."
Graham added the district is hoping to maintain small class sizes despite the increasing enrollment.
"What folks value more than anything is small class size," Graham said. "We're trying to keep that."
Last year, the district added classrooms to the Woodridge Primary School to accommodate for increasing classes. Just days before school started, a new kindergarten session was opened for the additional students.
This year, Graham said the district has added one session to both the kindergarten and first-grade classes.
Graham said while the district has seen increases throughout all grade levels, the high school has been hit harder this year than before. More than 650 students are expected to enter the high school when doors open, compared to approximately 580 students last year.
To accommodate the increasing student population, the district has added two classrooms to the high school for the 2007-08 school year. The classrooms were created using space from the library.
"When we built the middle school, we renovated the high school and took out three classrooms for a larger library," Graham said. "We just put back the classrooms."
Open enrollment factor
The district also has begun a stricter policy on open enrollment. While the district plans to keep all past open-enrollment students who wish to remain at Woodridge, very few new open enrollment students are being accepted according to Graham.
"We set caps for open enrollment at every grade level, but all of our caps are met," Graham said. "In the 13 grades, we've met or exceeded that cap in 11 to 12 of the grades."
Graham also is waiting for the results of a yearlong study on enrollment projections and a facility assessment conducted by the Ohio Schools' Facility Committee. While the study is expected to illustrate possible solutions, the district has begun planning for the future as well.
Last year, the district purchased more than 7 acres adjacent to the administrative building on Quick Road. At the time, school officials said the land could be used for expansion if needed.
However, Graham said the district has no plans for the property.
Editor's note: Krupar is a reporter for the Cuyahoga Falls News-Press.
E-mail: lkrupar@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3915