Almost 3,000 Students Enrolled in DeKalb School District

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Enrollment in the DeKalb County School System is up by five students compared to last year at this time.

Comparing the numbers for the first full week of school, total enrollment from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade district wide is 2,998 as of Thursday (August 8), up from 2,993 last year.

According to Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder, the numbers are down at two of the five schools and up at the other three. “We’re up by five students county wide from where we were a year ago. Of course, this is an ever changing number and it will be changing daily from now until probably after Labor Day. Usually it’s the Monday after Labor Day before you get numbers firmed up about who has moved in and moved out,” said Reeder.

As of  Thursday, August 8 enrollment at each school is as follows compared to last year:

DCHS: 840 (down by 33 students)
DeKalb Middle School: 607 (up by 35 students)
Northside Elementary: 594 (down by 9 students)
Smithville Elementary: 560 (up by 4 students)
DeKalb West School: 397 (up by 8 students)

Enrollment at DCHS breaks down as follows:
9th grade: 221 students (down by 5 students)
10th grade: 210 students (down by 13 students)
11th grade: 209 students (down by 4 students)
12th grade: 201 students (down by 10 students)

Enrollment District-Wide by grade level is as follows:
Pre-Kindergarten: 122 (SES & DWS combined) (up by 11)
Kindergarten: 222 (SES & DWS combined) (up by 10)
1st grade: 212 (SES & DWS) (down by 1)
2nd grade: 220 (SES, Northside, & DWS) (up by 5)
3rd grade: 230 (Northside & DWS) (same as last year)
4th grade: 219 (Northside & DWS) (up by 21)
5th grade: 205 (Northside & DWS) (down by 37)
6th grade: 239 (DMS & DWS) (down by 13)
7th grade: 255 (DMS & DWS) (up by 24)
8th grade: 234 (DMS & DWS) (up by 18)

Enrollment by School:
DeKalb Middle School:
6th grade: 212 (up by 2)
7th grade: 213 (up by 29)
8th grade: 182 (up by 4)

Northside Elementary:
2nd grade: 61 (up by 10)
3rd grade: 185 (up by 2)
4th grade: 181 (up by 23)
5th grade: 167 (down by 44)

Smithville Elementary:
Pre-K: 99 (up by 3)
Kindergarten: 174 (up by 5)
1st grade: 169 (up by 1)
2nd grade: 118 (down by 4)

DeKalb West School:
Pre-K: 23 (up by 8)
Kindergarten: 48 (up by 5)
1st grade: 44 (down by 1)
2nd grade: 41 (down by 1)
3rd grade: 44 (down by 3)
4th grade: 38 (down by 2)
5th grade: 38 (up by 8)
6th grade: 27 (down by 15)
7th grade: 42 (down by 5)
8th grade: 52 (up by 14)

Reeder urges parents to make sure their children attend school on time every day classes are in session. “Students who miss 18 school days per year-regardless of the cause-will be considered chronically absent under State Department of Education regulations. The number of chronically absent students will also reflect on the overall performance score given to the school system. The state uses an accountability measure called the Chronically Out-of-School Indicator. Students who miss more than 10 percent of the school year, for any reason, are considered chronically out of school. This would typically be students that miss 18 or more school days out of our 180-day school year calendar,” reported Reeder.

Under state law, if a student misses as few as five days of school “unexcused” he or she is considered “truant”. “We won’t take you to juvenile court for five days missed but we will send a letter to the parents to arrange a meeting with them to see what can be done to improve their child’s attendance,” said Reeder.

Tardies are also a concern, especially early in the morning. “We don’t have a lot of tardies during the day. Its like during first block in the morning when they are getting there a few minutes late. We ask parents bringing their children to school to please arrive on time by 7:45 a.m. because three tardies can equal one unexcused absence,” said Reeder“

Meanwhile, Reeder urges parents who are home schooling their children to contact the school system to let them know.”I wish you would come by and register with us. It helps us to know where they (students) are and what they are doing. Some people withdraw their kids from the school system to home school and we never hear from them again in the following years. Legally, parents are suppose to register but there is really not a penalty if they don’t. It just helps us keep up with where the students are at. Registering is not a big deal. It doesn’t take but five minutes and it would help us out some,” said Reeder.

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Although the Board of Education months ago settled on the model for a new Pre-Kindergarten to 2^nd grade school to replace Smithville Elementary it has not yet nailed down just where to build it.

Initial plans were to place the new 98,000 square foot school on the same property with Northside Elementary but the board’s architect, Upland Design Group suggested that it might be a tight fit unless adjacent land could be acquired and while the Director of Schools and Board members have had discussions with the neighboring landowner they have not come to terms with him.

The Board is now requesting any other landowner in Smithville to come forward with a proposal if he or she has property for sale.

During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Board of Education, at the suggestion of the architect, voted to post notices requesting sealed proposals for the purchase of 25-30 acres of property in Smithville for a new elementary school once the general terms and the deadline for receiving bids are established.

Such proposals would not only have to be reviewed by the Board of Education but also by the County Commission’s Purchasing Committee.

Smithville Elementary School, originally built in 1958, now is 70,557 square feet in size, and has a current enrollment of 561 students. The proposed new school would accomodate 800 students. The cost to build a new school of this size is expected to be at least $19 million.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation also requires a traffic study be done anytime a new school is built near a state highway. Findings of that study as it relates to increased traffic flow and congestion is also a consideration.

Once the board finds a suitable site, it is expected to present a construction plan to the county commission for approval of funding through either a note or bond issue.

August 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

For several years the DeKalb County School District has maintained a closed door policy to any students from other counties wishing to enroll in either of the five schools here except for those whose parents are employed by the school system 

But that closed door policy may soon change. 

During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Board of Education adopted on first reading an amendment to the existing policy to allow non-resident students to apply for admission to DeKalb County Schools subject to approval of the Director of Schools and payment of a $750 per semester tuition per student. 

Out-of-district students with parents who are employees of the system would still be allowed to attend DeKalb County Schools.

Students who transfer to another school district or who become residents of the school system shall be refunded any unused portion of the tuition on a pro-rata basis.  

When payment is not made on all or any part of the required tuition for a previous year, the student(s) shall be excluded from future attendance until all prior and current tuition is paid.  

The Board will act on the policy amendment on second and final reading at the next meeting in September.

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