Denton ISD had over 2,000 students more on the first day of school this year than it did last year.
First day enrollment on Aug. 14 was 29,195 students, according to a news release from the district. DISD had 27,045 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on the first day of 2018-19 school year and ended the past school year with 29,586.
The enrollment difference between the two most recent first days of school is an increase of 7.95%. More than half of the increase is credited to the district’s new initiative to serve pre-Kindergarten students with a full-day program across the district, with 1,149 new 4-year-old students registered at 17 elementary campuses.
“While the growth may seem overwhelming, our Board and community are enacting a plan we’ve been developing for many years to manage this as best we can,” said Dr. Jamie Wilson, superintendent of schools. “The energy sparked by the addition of four-year-old students on our campuses is palpable. We are so proud that our staff was able to implement this program with such a tight turn around. We are able to staff those spots to offer really high-quality education for our youngest learners – a game-changer for many families.”
Denton ISD is in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, and it has consistently ranked among the top five districts in the number of new homes starts and closures for the past five years, according to the news release. That growth has led to the district averaging at least one new school opening since 2008.
By comparison, Lewisville ISD had a first day enrollment of 50,259 students this year, a slight decrease from the 50,394 on the first day of school last year.
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