An increase in private school enrollment to almost 4,000 students has impacted enrollment counts in the Sandy Springs learning region of Fulton County Schools (FCS), according to officials.
Elementary enrollment decreased by slightly over 200 students this academic year, Tarika Peeks, executive director of Operational Planning told the FCS board before its work session on March 12. That compares to the previous year when it dropped by 72 students.
The school district uses enrollment forecasts for planning and budget development. Short-range estimates identify needed resources such as staffing, textbooks, buses, groceries, and classroom needs such as modular or portable classrooms, Peeks said. Long-range estimates inform and guide the capital construction plan and help inform the timeline for the delivery of construction projects.
Elementary school enrollment dropped by 98 students in Sandy Springs, with 92 fewer students in middle school and 13 fewer in high school, according to Peeks’ report.
FCS had an overall decrease in enrollment of 1,851 students in the current academic year compared to 2023-2024, she said. That enrollment was 1,774 students less than the school district expected.
Across the district, 12,167 students attend private schools. Peeks said the Sandy Springs region had almost 4,000 private school students, an increase of 103 students from the previous academic year. She said the data may not be comprehensive as it came only from schools that responded to the school district’s annual survey.
Peeks said housing market conditions such as low inventory, increased interest rates and increased costs will continue to impact the district’s enrollment estimates.
The Sandy Springs region’s housing inventory shows three months of supply with 23 new homes available in the fourth quarter of 2023. Active and planned residential development remains concentrated in the central portion of the city. FCS staff…
Read the full article here
