Student registration in Greenwood Public Schools is down by 89 students from August 2004, according to Dr. Les Daniels, superintendent.
Daniels said Tuesday at a Greenwood School Board meeting that the current total stands at 2,813 students in six schools.
It is possible that more students will enroll later. The district expects to be registering students into September. The first day of school was Thursday.
Board member Barbara Gray wanted to know how the district could make sure it is registering all of the children it should be serving.
She asked whether there is a way to cross reference the number registered with the number of children eligible in Greenwood.
The number registered, she said, "seems like such a small number" compared to Greenwood's 18,000 population. "In some place, there's got to be some kids lost," Gray said.
Daniels said he knew of no numbers or figures that could be used, except those from the 2000 federal census.
Daniels said that 10 years ago, registration stood at 4,400. Since 1995, the district has been losing 100 students a year. That number does not include students who have left the district. Their records are requested wherever else they go, so the district can follow those, Daniels said.
Gray said, "That's a lot of kids. A hundred kids in a small town like this have a great impact. It has a great impact on our future."
The board also approved the hiring of three off-duty Greenwood police officers: one for Greenwood Middle School and two for Greenwood High School.
The officers began work Aug. 4 and will continue to work at the discretion of the superintendent. The officers are paid $15 an hour from district funds and work from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Robert Sims, the middle school's principal, said, "It's been working out great. The kids are behaving. It's so quiet in the halls, you would think we were having church."
At the high school, the officers have been helping, along with the school's metal detectors, keep the halls clear and whatever else is needed, said George Noflin, principal of the school.
James Mattox, assistant superintendent, reported that security cameras at the high school led to the arrest of a vandal for the first time. "Our cameras finally paid off," said Daniels.
On Sunday, July 10, at 12:30 a.m. someone entered the high school by breaking a window. The person also left by breaking a window. Nothing was stolen, and only the windows were damaged.
Greenwood police used an image captured from the surveillance cameras to apprehend a suspect. The person is still in custody and is expected to be prosecuted, Mattox said.
Daniels said this is the first time the cameras have identified someone, more than eight years after they were installed. The high school does not have a motion detection system like the elementary schools. The motion detection system at W.C. Williams is insufficient, Mattox said.
Daniels said he would bring the board next month a decision on installing motion detectors in these two schools. It was estimated to cost $2,000 at the high school, and $1,500 at W.C. Williams.
The board also approved:
- An order to ask the Greenwood City Council to levy taxes in support of the 2005-2006 tax year. Steven Loden, finance director, said the district was requesting $4.4 million. This is not an increase from last year, Loden said.
- A set limit of $15,000 to fund game officials during the upcoming school year. Daniels said last year's payment did not exceed $13,000. If the high school or middle school enters playoffs in football, basketball, track, softball or baseball, the extra $2,000 will cover travel expenses.
