Newspaper Page Text
Page 12, December 10, 2018, The Islander
Back Talk will return
next week with our
final 2018 issue.
School system
enrollment projected
flat through 2029
By Pamela Permar Shierling
The Glynn County Board of Educa
tion (BOE) heard a projected enroll
ment update from Dr. Steve Salmon of
the Gude Management Group (Tues
day, Dec. 4) that showed very little
growth through 2029.
Information used in Dr. Salmon’s
report included Glynn County popula
tion and housing data, live birth data,
and Glynn County school system en
rollment history.
According to Dr. Salmon the change
in Glynn’s population from 2010 to
2016 was small: it only increased by
4,991 and 75% of that increase were
persons over 61 years old. New hous
ing unit starts are down in 2018 from
2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
K through five enrollment has
dropped by almost 200 since the 2015-
2016 school year. K through five pro
jected enrollment continues to drop
by about 30 to 40 students per year
through 2029.
Enrollment in grades six through
eight has risen slightly since 2014-
2015 and is projected to remain al
most flat then dropping slightly from
2023 through 2029.
County hires temps
Continued from Page 9
fund the Frederica Road realignment
project which was requested by Christ
Episcopal Church Frederica. The proj
ect would allow the church parishio
ners to park in front of the church in
stead of across the street. The project
is also aimed at correcting drainage is
sues at the entrance to the Fort Fred
erica National Monument.
The grant’s local funding match dis
tribution of $543,145 is broken down
as follows: Glynn County $50,000,
National Park Services $47,699, and
Christ Church $445,446.
In addition to deferring acceptance
of the grant, the BOC also deferred the
approval of a Memorandum of Under
standing and Real Property Exchange
Agreement with the Christ Church
Wardens and Vestrymen pertaining to
the realignment of Frederica Road.
The two items were deferred be
cause the BOC is still waiting on docu
ments relating to the project from the
Dept, of Transportation.
• The BOC also approved on a 5-2
vote the so-called ‘Sunday Brunch’
amendment to their alcoholic beverage
ordinance.
The change allows qualifying res
taurants, motels, and hotels to start
selling alcohol at 11:00 am on Sun
day instead of at 12:30. The amend
ment was approved by the public in
a referendum during the last general
election.
Publisher The Islander EDITORIAL
Grades nine through 12 have in
creased in enrollment since 2014-2015
and are projected to peak in 2023-
2024 and drop slightly through 2029.
Total student capacity for 2018 is
13,825 with fall 2018 FTE (Full time
equivalent) count at 13,283.
Capacity status: Brunswick High
School has room for an additional 428
students; Glynn Academy is out of ca
pacity with a negative 216 putting it
at 112.90% capacity.
The middle schools are in better
shape: Glynn Middle is at 99% ca
pacity; Jane Macon is at 94%; Need-
wood and Risley are at 76% and 78%
respectively.
The elementary school capacity
is rather lopsided: Altama is at 80%;
Burroughs Molette is at 93%; Glyn-
dale is at 128%; Golden Isles is at
98%; Goodyear is at 80%; Greer is at
106%; Oglethorpe Point is at 78%; Sa-
tilla Marsh is at 123%; St. Simons is
at 111%; and Sterling is at 114%.
The 2023-2024 capacity projec
tions change somewhat: BHS 82%;
GA 120%; middle schools - GMS 97%;
JMS 100%; NMS 79%; RMS 80%;
elementary schools - Altama (new
school) 63%; Burroughs-Molette (new
school) 84%; Glyndale 116%; Golden
Isles 85%; Goodyear 70%; Greer 100%;
Oglethorpe Point 77%; Satilla Marsh
125%; St. Simons 103%; and Sterling
is at 119%.
In 2028-2029 BHS and GA re
main under and over capacity respec
tively; middle schools remain close
to the 2023-2024 projections; and
the same elementary schools remain
overcrowded.
Dr. Salmon called the projections
“moderate.”
“Your live birth rates are not back
to the early 2000 levels,” he said. “And
live birth rates relate to first grade en
tries six years later.”
“I think you have enough built in
growth and stability for the next five
to 10 years,” he said. “The data doesn’t
support a new elementary school in
the next ten year period.”
BOE member Dr. Hank Yeargan
commented that possibly rezoning
would make for more efficient build
ings and smaller classes.
Items to be voted on during the reg
ular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 11, include
the 2020-2021 and 2019-2020 school
calendars; 2019 BOE meeting dates;
Oct. 2018 financial report; a request
to add $49,000 of IBM equipment to
the data center: funding source is the
technology budget.
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