Schools

Chappaqua School Enrollment Climbs; 58 More Students than Projected

Improved housing marketed is eyed as factor in rising enrollment.

Student enrollment in the Chappaqua school district is notably higher than projected numbers indicated.

In her report to the school board on Aug. 7, Superintendent Lyn McKay said that the district has 58 more students than were projected. This includes 39 more at the elementary school level and 19 more than projected at the middle school level, with Horace Greeley High School not getting a bump. Kindergarten alone has 20 more students.

As a result of the spike, Westorchard Elementary School will need a contingency job, according to McKay, who added that “things are changing.”

The numbers are above enrollment projections that were given this spring during the district's 2013-14 budget process, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business John Chow, who cautioned that he thinks the number will go up further before schools reopen in September.

The district's projections showed a total enrollment of 3,969 for the coming year, down from 4,022 for 2012-13. With the new enrollment figure provided by McKay, the total is up to 4,027, providing a 5-student net increase. For the elementary level, the projected number was 1,328, going down from 1,364, while the projected middle school figure was 1,298, down from 1,325. With the new provided data, the elementary school number stands at 1,367 and the middle school figure is 1,317. Kindergarten was projected to drop from 240 in 2012-13 to 253 for this year, a number that is now at 273.

A rebounding housing market in the district is considered to be a factor, according to Chow, who said the “real estate market is moving.”

Data show that the market is in better shape this year in the district. During a recent report to the New Castle Town Board, Town Administrator Penny Paderewski said that for the first half of 2013, the median home price rose by 15.4 percent, from $758,000 to $875,000. Additionally, the number of home sales rose from 49 to 89, she said, which was a rise of 81.6 percent.

Officials in New Castle, where most of the Chappaqua school district is situated, had anecdotal evidence for changes in trends.

Councilman John Buckley, who is also a realtor with Douglas Elliman, explained that  for decades older residents would be replaced with younger residents, who in turn were attracted to the school system. Buckley also said that there has been an increase in houses turning over.

Town Clerk Jill Shapiro says that more younger and newer residents have been coming to her office asking questions about items such as parking permits and tax billing.

"There's been a flurry," she said.


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