Enrollment at schools throughout Prince George’s County is increasing, including at schools like Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) that are over their official capacity. According to a press release put out by the Prince George’s County Public Schools, enrollment throughout the county increased by 4,000 students, to an estimated 136,600 students.
The Prince George’s County Public School Board met on Tuesday, November 12, to discuss changes that, along with the increased enrollment announced by the county, are sure to impact public schools in Greenbelt. The proposed boundary changes discussed at that meeting would send students from Paint Branch Elementary to Greenbelt Middle and enroll students from the Greenbelt Station area in Greenbelt Elementary and ERHS.
According to Principal Reginald McNeill, ERHS has an official capacity of around 2,100 students. According to statistics available online through the Maryland State Department of Education, in the 2019-2020 school year an estimated 2,649 students were enrolled at ERHS. Enrollment at ERHS has increased steadily over the last few years, rising by over 100 students since 2015, which is the first year shown in the state’s online demographic report, available at reportcard.mdse.maryland.gov.
The same demographic reports show that Greenbelt Middle has about 1,360 students enrolled, an increase of about 196 students since 2015. Greenbelt Elementary enrollment has stayed relatively constant, increasing to 623 in 2019 from 600 in 2015. Dora Kennedy, a French Immersion school that takes students from surrounding towns, has seen its enrollment increase from 610 to 673 over the same period of time. The Springhill Lake student body has remained relatively constant, increasing from 859 to 873 students, while Magnolia Elementary’s enrollment increased from 492 to 517.
“It’s manageable,” McNeill said of the recent increases. He cited a county policy of funding schools based on student enrollment and said that teachers in the past have dealt with enrollment increases by applying for grants for supplemental instruction materials, like mini-whiteboards.
McNeill also said that in his more than 20 years at ERHS, the school has never been below its official capacity.
Colin Byrd, Greenbelt’s new mayor, said he hopes the schools in Greenbelt have the resources to adapt to being over capacity. Byrd also noted that the city is only an interested party in education and doesn’t have authority over county policy, so Greenbelt must work with the county to ensure its students have a good education.
Byrd also said he hopes the city will consult with teachers, principals and parents to ensure that schools can manage increased enrollment.
“A lot of times people make decisions without consulting the relevant stakeholders,” Byrd said.