Putnam Enrollment Down Over 2 Percent

Putnam County Schools enrollment has decreased by about 2.25 percent from last year.

A total of 11,168 K-12 students are currently enrolled. Attendance Supervisor Chris Pierce said the decrease likely results from a COVID-forced move to home schooling.

“During the past few years we’ve had a fairly consistent growth rate of like a percent of up to two,” Pierce said. “But this year is an exception. Several more families have chosen to home school.”

Director of Schools Corby King said the home schooling trend is being seen across the state. He said the danger of the enrollment decrease would be a reduction of BEP funding. The legislature uses the BEP to allot monies. King said education leaders are asking for legislative help this year.

Pierce said the system has seen an increase in Pre-K enrollment during the first month of school, up to 466 students.

With numbers down, Pierce said the system has maintained strong student-to-teacher ratios across the school system. The system is watching a bit of an issue in fourth grade student totals to see if adjustments might be needed. Pierce said all schools are well within capacity with Jere Whitson Elementary the only school about 90 percent.

Fluctuations in enrollment numbers will continue for the next several days, Pierce said.

“The enrollment does tend to stabilize once we get past Labor Day,” Pierce said.