School District enrollment down slightly, shows shift to north end

Student enrollment in the district is down slightly from the beginning of the last school year, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline.

However, Winslow Unified School District Supt. Bob Mansell said he isn't sure why the headcount is lower but that the trend should reverse with new housing developments in the works.

The Winslow Crossing apartment complex has 52 units with two to four bedrooms for families. The developer of the complex, Cardon Development Group, also plans to build a multiphase subdivision near Desert View Cemetery. Phase I would have 52 lots.

McCauley Construction plans to develop a 49-lot subdivision located northeast of Carrol Drive and south of I-40.

"We've already decided the apartment complex will be in the Washington (School) neighborhood," Mansell said. "When the others come on line, we'll make a decision."

There were 2,437 students in the district on Aug. 18, which was down 81 from the same date in 2004.

Winslow Junior High School has remained relatively stable over the past few years. The school reported 425 students in 2005, two less than last year.

Winslow High School reported 878 students on the first day of classes (Aug. 11). That number dropped to 858 on Aug. 18, down 22 from the same date last year.

Washington Elementary is down 51 students from last year. There are 384 students in total making the average class size 22.5, including kindergarten classes.

Bonnie Brennan Elementary's enrollment increased again this year. The increase is indicative of the population growth north of town. The school reported 415 students on Aug. 11, seven more than the previous year. The average class size is 24.4, including kindergarten but not preschool classes.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary reported 13 less students this year with a total of 355. The average class size is 23.7 students.

The district is required by the state to continue counting for the first 100 days. The number on day 100 is used by the Arizona Department of Education to determine the level of funding for every district.

Winslow's enrollment will continue to fluctuate due to many students choosing to attend other schools. It's still possible for the district to end the current school year with more students than began.

Winslow's schools draw from about 20 miles north, west to the county line, east to Route 87 North and south to the Coconino county line. However, the district also takes kids from the Blue Ridge area about 50 miles south of town. Those students are actually in the Flagstaff district.

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