The overall number of students in the Platte County R-3 School District is up this fall compared to last year.
During the October board of education meeting an update was provided by superintendent Dr. Mike Reik.
The number offered a mixed bag with increases in four schools and decreases in three more.
The total number of students, including those at the early childhood classes at Barry and the District Education Center, is 4,344 — a jump of 98 total students across the district.
It is the largest total ever in the school district, something that can be said for each of the 19 years Reik has been working in Platte County. With plenty of residential construction ongoing in the district that trend looks to continue.
At the high school, the September count was 1,271, up 54 students from last year and just below the projected enrollment of 1,280.
There is only one grade, K-12, with less than 300 students and that is the senior class with 289. The largest class at PCHS is the freshmen with 345 students. That total is the second largest in the district, trailing the fourth graders with a combined 370.
Platte City Middle School saw a drop of eight students, down to 810, while the district’s other middle school, Barry School, increased by 23 students to 431.
Two of the three elementary schools in the district had small drops in enrollments.
Compass Elementary lost 19 students (613 now) while Siegrist Elementary saw a decrease of 11 (590) though it was an expected drop.
The one school that grew at the elementary level was Pathfinder, as the school jumped up to 652 students, a net gain of 42.
The early childhood classes saw a gain of 17 students, rising to 85 this fall.
NOTES
The 2018-19 Platte County High School yearbook was selected by Walsworth Publishing for entry into The Gallery of Excellence. More than 5,000 yearbooks are reviewed and less than five percent earned this award. This marked the second straight year The Pirateer had been selected. PCHS journalism instructor and yearbook sponsor Kari Johnson was at the meeting along with some staff members that are still in school. The staff members from last year were Julia Irminger, Harper Sinclair, Brooke Tramel, Kasten Green, Hannah Burger, Abby Bradley, Emilia Wisniewski, Raena Sinclair, Lauren Moore, Sumer Green, Sierra Charlson, Katelyn Evans, Piper Ruwe and Anna Carmichael.
The October SCHIVIR Me Timber recipient was Platte County High School teacher Dena Skidmore, an art instructor.
The board formally approved the bus routes for this school year, required by Missouri State statutes each October.
Natalie Pauley and Christopher Roberts were hired as paraprofessionals and Shelley Laures resigned as an assistant track and field coach at Platte County High School.