Cape school district student population up, but down at high school

Cape Henlopen School District’s student population rose to 6,654 for the Sept. 30 unit count, an increase of 99 students from the same time last year.

“Already, though, we are continuing to grow. We have 6,686 students, which is 32 more than just six weeks ago,” said Assistant Superintendent Jenny Nauman during the Nov. 14 school board meeting. “So they’re continuing to knock on the door and coming with different needs.”

The Sept. 30 unit count is used to determine how much state funding a district will receive to pay for teaching and professional staff. Students with special needs who require more services and support staff earn additional units for the school.

Unlike in past years, Nauman said she will not be asking the state for a class size waiver.

“It’s very exciting to not have to ask for that waiver,” she said.

After talking to all the elementary school principals, Nauman said all of the K-3 classes met the state-required ratio for teacher support. In some of the larger classrooms, paraprofessionals work alongside teachers to educate the students.

With the new Fred Thomas Middle School opening this fall, student population numbers for Beacon and Mariner middle schools dropped, but the overall middle school populations increased by 34 over last year.

Mariner Middle has the largest population with 545; Fred Thomas follows with 449; and Beacon is 427.

All elementary schools continue to grow with the exception of Love Creek Elementary, which dropped 51 students to 630; however, it remains the largest of the five. Lewes Elementary is the next largest with 620 students, an increase of 50 students; Milton Elementary had 566, an increase of one; Rehoboth Elementary had 541, an increase of 13; and H.O. Brittingham Elementary had 506, an increase of nine.

Cape Henlopen High School had a drop of 25 students from last year for a total of 1,893.