Holyoke student count shows slight drop
A slight drop of three students was recorded during the first few days of school in Holyoke School District Re-1J, as compared to the first-day figures recorded one year ago.
That follows a huge 31-student increase reported a year ago from start-week in 2018 to start-week in 2019.
Students in grades 7-12 started classes Wednesday, Aug. 19, while K-6 started Thursday, Aug. 20, and additions and deletions to class lists are still in progress this week.
A handful of students are doing online homeschool that the school district is providing. They are included in this student count.
As of Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, the total enrollment for K-12 was 594, down from 597 recorded at the start of the 2019-20 school year.
That includes 312 in grades K-6, a decrease of two; 254 in grades 7-12, a decrease of 10; and 28 in Holyoke Alternative School, an increase of nine.
For state funding purposes, the actual student count is linked to the Oct. 1 enrollment, not this first-week count.
First-week counts in the district have been up and down in the last decade. They dropped by 19 in 2010, increased by 16 in 2011, stayed steady in 2012, dropped by 12 in 2013, increased by 20 in 2014, dropped by six in 2015, dropped by two in 2016, dropped by nine in 2017, dropped by 14 in 2018 and increased by 31 last year.
The student count at Holyoke Elementary School is 312, down two from a year ago. This year’s kindergarten class lists 40 students, while last year’s senior class started the year with 41.
Grade 7-12 enrollment shows 254 students, down 10 from a year ago. The 9-12 enrollment is 165, down seven from last fall.
Holyoke Alternative School count was reported at 28 students, up nine from 2019-20.
This year’s first grade class is the largest in the district with 56 students. There are 51 students in the third grade and also in the sophomore class.
The senior class of 28 is the smallest in the district, followed by fourth grade with 33.
Enrollment in individual grades during the first few days of school for 2020-21 follows:
Kindergarten 40, first grade 56, second grade 38, third grade 51, fourth grade 33, fifth grade 45, sixth grade 49, seventh grade 40, eighth grade 49, freshmen 40, sophomores 51, juniors 46, seniors 28 and alternative school 28.
Enrollment for the first week of school in past years compares as follows to the 594 count this year: 597 in 2019, 566 in 2018, 580 in 2017, 589 in 2016, 591 in 2015, 597 in 2014, 577 in 2013, 589 in 2012, 589 in 2011, 573 in 2010, 592 in 2009 and 560 in 2008.