Cherokee Charter Transfer Students Help Boost District Enrollment

Staff Report

The Cherokee County School District continues to see its enrollment increase as students resumed classes on the second day of school for the 2014-15 school year.

Enrollment reached 39,927 students on Tuesday, Aug. 5, which is an increase of 789 students from last school year’s second day enrollment.

While this school year’s enrollment has not yet reached the peak-enrollment projection of40,200, the district’s enrollment increased by 467 students from yesterday’s opening of school. If growth continues at this rate, the district predicts enrollment could top the projected peak by several hundred students.

A contributing factor to totals exceeding projections is the “unexpected significant volume” of transfers to the Cherokee County School District from Cherokee Charter Academy, which increased after processing first-day enrollments to a total of 287 transfers since June 1, the district said in its press release.

“School district officials had forecast that, due to the closing of the charter school’s high school program, a portion of those students would transfer to CCSD, with the remainder choosing other options, but the totals show transfers of charter school students from across all grades to CCSD schools,” a spokesperson added.

Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo and his staff are closely monitoring this growth to determine where staffing adjustments may be needed in the coming weeks.