| Rutherford county schools still growing, but more slowly |
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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
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Posted: Thursday, September 4, 2008 3:39 pm
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Rutherford County Schools added less than 1,000 this year compared with the beginning of the last school year.
That’s only a 2.3 percent increase in student population. Last year the system saw a 4.2 percent adding 1,483 students from the 2006-07 school year.
Last year the system started with 35,994 students. This year the system has 36,835 students, only an 841 student increase. When compared to the end of the school year, RCS has added 1,054 students, a 2.9 percent increase.
The opening of Rockvale Middle School caused the biggest change on the school level.
The new school opens the year with 859 students, mostly from Rockvale Elementary School. The new middle school’s zone mirrors the school zone for Rockvale Elementary, the main difference being the middle school takes city students from the Cason Lane area.
“The elementary zone does not include the Cason Lane/Scales Elementary areas because it is in the city and they city provides schools for those residents,” RCS Spokesman James Evans explained in a previous interview.
Because the city kids are now attending Rockvale, Central Middle has 343 fewer students than last year. Christiana Middle saw a drop of 150 students because of zoning changes.
Barfield Elementary’s student population also dropped 160 students, because some were rezoned for Rockvale Elementary.
To put it in perspective new elementary schools are built to accommodate 850-1,000 students. Last year, Barfield was the system’s most crowded elementary school with 1,145 students. And because of the zoning changes, Barfield’s student population was reduced by almost 14 percent to 985 this year.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.
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