CCS enrollment dips slightly; stays above 600-student mark

    Third day enrollment figures for Chase County Schools paint a picture of continued strong numbers with 612 students in K-12.
    While the CCS enrollment dropped by seven compared to the start of 2020-21, it’s stayed on a trend of a 600-plus student body since the 2014-15 school year.
    This year’s 612 students dropped just slightly from the 619 recorded at the start of the last two school years.
    The 2021-22 school year marks the eighth in a row with enrollment numbers above 600 students.
    Supt. Adam Lambert said he thought numbers would be close to last year as the Aug. 18 start of school neared.
    Much of the K-6 change came with a large sixth grade class last year moving into the 7-12 classification, he said, and being replaced with a smaller incoming kindergarten. There were some shifts in other grades, too.
    The K-6 elementary grades were at 304 Friday, dropping by 23 students on the third day compared to 327 last year. Chase County’s grades 7-12 enrollment of 308 grew by 16, up from last  year’s start of 292.
    Fourth grade’s 54 students can claim the largest class in the K-6 section, while the freshman class is the largest in 7-12 with 65 students.
    The 2021-22 senior class, spending their last year at Chase County Schools with 46 students, is very close to the graduating Class of 2021 which had 44 seniors.
    On Tuesday this week, the fifth day of the new school year, Supt. Lambert said things are going very well.
    “I’ve talked to some teachers who have said the first day was the smoothest in a long time,” he said.
    But it’s been a busy start to the school year, with activities already filling up the calendar. Softball had its first game Tuesday, volleyball and cross country open their seasons Thursday and there’s a home football game Friday.
    “It’s been ready, set, go,” he said.
    With six additional teaching positions added to certificated staff this year, all rooms are full. Classrooms formerly used for storage are now being used for teaching, he said.
    There are two potential “flex” rooms, however, in the building. One room has just one period of health class in it each day, and there is an industrial arts room used for projects like staining.
    Potentially, those two could be utilized if needed, he said.
    One of the capital improvements approved by the board of education earlier this year was a new storage shed to be built by the bus barn.
    Materials were delayed this summer when it was to be built, but they were delivered this week, Lambert said, so work has already started prepping for construction.
    Delivery of two new route busses was also delayed, but Lambert is hopeful they will arrive by month’s end.
    CCS has had some issues with air conditioning.
    Lambert said there was a power outage during fair week, and he believes it may have extended to the school. Two fuses blew on the school’s H-VAC system, he said.
    The main pump is off, but the back-up pump is working although not as efficiently.
    “It’s comfortable, but you can feel some of the humidity since the main pump is off,” he said.
    Repairmen with TRANE are expected to be here soon to get the main pump functioning, he added.