By By Kerry Whipple Bean
publisher
Enrollment at Brewton City Schools is up slightly for the new year, halting a three-year trend of lower enrollment among the three schools.
Superintendent Lynn Smith said the numbers were welcome, especially because the schools receive state funding based on enrollment.
Overall, the school system is up about 17 students, Smith said. Most encouraging is the larger kindergarten class, he said, which is just under 100 students.
Smith could not pinpoint a reason for the increase, although he said the economy’s leveling off could have something to do with it. In recent years, many students left because their parents had found jobs elsewhere, and some went to schools in East Brewton because of new housing opportunities there.
Absences because of flu-related illnesses were likely not a problem in counting enrollment over the first 40 days of school, which is the reporting period for the state, Smith said.
In Escambia County Schools, enrollment is also holding steady, with about five students fewer across the entire county Friday. Superintendent Billy Hines said that number often fluctuates.
Flu absences have not caused many problems for county schools, Hines said. He noted that Flomaton High School had about 62 students out one day and said the Neal schools had a case of flu, but Atmore has not been hit hard by the illness.