By Peter Day
The Lucerne Valley Unified School District had an enrollment of 849 students during the month of February, the highest monthly enrollment number in years.
In fact, every month since the start of the 2019-20 school year enrollment has been above 800. Enrollment averaged 755 for the 2018-19 school year, which represented a gradual climb from a low of 690 in 2015-16.
“We haven’t taken a dip,” Superintendent Peter Livingston said during the regular monthly meeting of the LVUSD board of education on March 12. “We’re significantly higher than past years.”
As a result of the increased enrollment, the district was on track to have higher Average Daily Attendance (ADA) numbers on the year, which means a need to add teachers for the 2020-21 school year.
“We have plans to add two more teachers for next year, which is kind of exciting. It’s great to be adding people rather than having to make cuts like many surrounding districts are doing right now.”
One teacher each will be placed at the elementary school and the middle school, Mr. Livingston added.
One day after the school board meeting the district announced it would close its schools for two weeks to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Many other schools in the High Desert, and San Bernardino County as a whole, have announced similar closures.
Peter Day currently is a social media adviser for the Lucerne Valley Unified School District.