Student population steady

Staff writer

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Roosevelt County student populations have shown little fluctuation from last year to this year.

There were 2,843 students enrolled on the 80th school day in Portales, according to a school official, which is down 22 students from last year at the same benchmark.

Portales schools Student Teacher Accountability Reporting System-Visions coordinator Michael Terry said the district has ups and downs and usually sees a drop in students around Christmas break.

“Families wait until it gets close to Christmas break to move and they’ll check their kids out early,” Terry said of the slight drop in the student population.

Terry said the student population has remained steady during the three years he has worked as the STARS coordinator.

The student population has risen from 2,818 recorded in 2007 to the 2,843 recorded in 2014, which Terry attributes to a rise in the enrollment numbers at Eastern New Mexico University.

Terry said the higher enrollment at ENMU means more families making the move to the area and enrolling their children into the Portales school system.

Floyd Municipal Schools saw a slight rise in their student population this year.

Floyd Principal Damon Terry said the Floyd school system had 237 enrolled students this year compared to the 230 enrolled last year.

Damon Terry said the school’s enrollment numbers stay relatively steady year to year.

He said the numbers stay the same because the school’s small size is attractive to parents in the area.

“A lot of people want their kids in a small school and they stay in the system until they graduate,” Damon Terry said.

He added, “We do lose people here and there, but most kids come in and stay until they’ve finished school.”

He said the small class sizes help teachers, students, and parents to get familiar with each other easier than they would at a larger school.