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Show Uiravafo svudenv population grows co a highest U'uafo rejtfe Not only are Uintah School District students growing up, they are also growing grow-ing in numbers and at the highest percentage percen-tage rate of any other school district in the state. According to the State Office of Education Educa-tion enrollment figures, the Uintah SchoolDistrict increased by 693 student from the previous year. The district increased in-creased 11.84 percent over last year's enrollment. The 11.84 percent increase puts the Uintah School District "number one in percentage of growth," Superintendent Phil Ellis told board members during a special meeting Thursday. The Millard County School District is listed as second in the percentage of increase in-crease with 299 new students this year, an 11.52 percent increase. "These are actual counts," Ellis said about the state's enrollment comparisons. com-parisons. "We actually have that many students out there." The Uintah District growth rate is nearly triple the state average of 4.17 Percent. Major contributions to the increase in student population this year have been in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the elementary schools, and the seventh, eighth and ninth grades on the junior high level. The upper grades in the elementaries increased 194 students 14 percent from 1981 to 1982 school year. The junior high grades also increased 14 percent with 179 more students in 1982 than 1981. Because of the increase in students, double sessions were implemented at the Vernal Junior High School to carry the bulk of the increase. Combined enrollment at Vernal Junior High is 1,637: 752 students in the morning morn-ing session, grades eight and nine, and 885 in the afternoon session, grades six and seven. "I hear comments that we didn't need to go to double sessions because there are vacant classrooms," Ellis told the board. "We have one vacant classroom at Ashley and Measer elementaries, but we don't have 12 vacant classrooms (needed (need-ed to handle all the sixth grade)," Ellis said. With two elementary schools on line in the Lapoint and Davis areas, crowded conditions in the primary grades will be relieved, but district staff are not sure double sessions at Vernal Junior High will be lifted next year. Next year's enrollment figures for grades seven, eight and nine that will attend at-tend Vernal Junior High will be 1,255 students. Capacity of the school is 959 students. "I'm not sure we will be out of double sessions next year," Ellis said. "And if Paraho gets federal subsidy and begins work in 1983, we will be in trouble." "All indications predict that we will have significant amount of increase in the future," Ellis told the board. Predictions by the State Planning Coordinator's Office claim that in 1983 Vernal schools will increase 650 students in the elementaries, 290 students at the junior high level and 255 in the high school. According to Ellis, large increases in student population will depend on the development of oil shale. But without the development of oil shale, school board members are anticipating an-ticipating growth in the number of continued on page 2 W I I6i7 us, "1 1 ? 1; :r . - ; $-r -:- j . . - .,- : ; : '-.4 UINTAH SCHOOL students are increasing at the fastest rate of any other district in Utah and the upper elementary grades and junior high grades are increasing the fastest. There are 10 percent more first graders, as these at Maeser Elementary Elemen-tary students, than there were last year. Schools... Continued from page 1 students in the district as has been the trend for the past five years. The 1982 increase in-crease is the largest of the last five years. Enrollment in the district in 1978 was 5,053; ,n 1979, 5,321; in 1980, 5,525; in 1981, 5,855 and in 1982, 6,548. |
