Arlington Public School officials are scrambling to implement “short-term” solutions, as rising student populations have bucked staff projections and threaten to overburden county classrooms.
School staff had for a time predicted Arlington’s student population would drop. But new projections show the number of school-age kids spiking throughout the county, according to school spokeswoman Linda Erdos.
“It’s true for every school in the county. Enrollment is up,” Erdos said.
Just under 21,000 students are expected to attend classes in Arlington’s schools this fall, with enrollment projected to balloon to 24,500 during the next five years.
Eight of Arlington’s 32 public schools are expected to be over capacity when classes begin this fall, according to Arlington Public School reports. School officials expect that number will rise to 21 schools by 2015.
Enrollment at a handful of those schools, including the newly built Washington-Lee High School, is expected to surge to roughly 15 percent or more over capacity by 2015.
Erdos said the student population spike is the result of more families staying in Arlington.
“It used to be people would come to Arlington, they’d have a young family, and then eventually they’d move out to Fairfax or Loudoun or Prince William,” she said. “But now because of transportation issues and Arlington’s location close to D.C., things are changing.”
Soaring student enrollment is forcing officials to take action.
Washington-Lee Principal Gregg Robertson said his school had converted some “noninstructional areas” to classrooms in order to accommodate more students.
Some schools, including Washington-Lee, are also implementing a “six-sevenths” model, meaning classrooms will be in used six out of every seven periods during a typical school day.
Erdos said schools typically hew to a five-sevenths model in order to avoid scheduling difficulties. She said teachers need empty classrooms for special situations such as parent-teacher meetings, tutoring and other impromptu uses.
School officials are also using temporary modular classrooms to combat capacity problems affecting at least four county schools.
“They’re trailers, although I hate using the word ‘trailer’ because it paints the wrong picture,” Erdos said.
She explained that modular classrooms come with restrooms and conference space, and were a good short-term solution to the overcrowding problem.
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