Area school enrollment increases

Enrollment in area school districts is up, with some schools opening new campuses and others starting special programs.

In Harlingen, first day enrollment was 17,910 students, compared with 17,896 last year, a school district spokesman said.

Superintendent Steve Flores said about 40 to 60 new students were added so far, due to a policy passed by the school board this summer.

Children of any employee who lives outside of the school district may now attend Harlingen schools without payment of tuition, Flores said.

In the past, the policy applied only to children of teachers or other professional-level staff who lived outside the district, he said.

Now any employee, including custodians, bus drivers, maintenance or cafeteria staff, may bring their children to school in Harlingen, he said.

“That’s a good thing,” Flores said. “For us, growth is good.”

Attendance will increase after Labor Day when more families return from vacation, he said.
As in all Rio Grande Valley school districts, attendance will also increase when migrant families return around October, Flores said.

Harlingen’s public school district has 27 campuses.

In San Benito, Superintendent Tony Limon said enrollment for public schools was 10,970, based on Thursday’s attendance, which is 220 more students than last year.

“We’re building a new elementary school, but it won’t be open until later this year,” Limon said. “But we also have the Gateway Academy to Graduation. Last year, we had over 40 graduates that would have otherwise been dropouts.”

Night classes are offered to help students who have dropped out to catch up if they must work during the day or have other special circumstances, Limon said.

Enrollment is also affected in the San Benito school district by migrant workers leaving to work in northern states in March or April and then returning in early October or November, Limon said.

But many school districts in northern states now offer special classes for migrant students so they won’t fall behind in school, he said.

Credit from those classes is applied to the students’ records in San Benito with grades and course work now transmitted electronically, he said.

In Mercedes, first-day enrollment was 5,218 students this year, with 5,168 students the first day last year.

Enrollment in La Feria schools was up 107 students this year, with 3,357 students on the first day of school and 3,250 on the first day last year, Assistant Superintendent Robert Rivera said.

Sam Houston Elementary School on South Beddoes Road is nearing completion and will open in late September, Rivera said. That school will enroll 3-year-olds, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.

Raymondville schools had 2,055 students the first day and 2,004 students the first day last year.

The new Myra Green Middle School opened this year. The Raymondville Options Academy, with grades 9-12, also opened in the old Myra Green building this year.

In Lyford, total enrollment increased by 20, with 1,488 students attending the first day of school this year and 1,468 last year.

Rio Hondo schools had 2,222 students on the first day of schools this year and 2,218 on the first day last year.

There were 1,109 students in Santa Rosa on the first day this year and 1,127 students the first day last year. By Friday, Santa Rosa had 1,167 students enrolled.

In Santa Maria, 635 students attended the first day, compared with 632 students the first day of school last year.