As of September 3, approximately two weeks into the 2014-15 school year, Burbank Unified School District has seen an increase in enrollment of about 256 total students in its associated public schools to a total of approximately 15,281, according to BUSD officials.
“One of the most obvious reasons is our TK classes,” commented Hani Youssef, Director of BUSD Student Services. “We projected four but now have seven TK classes.”
TK – or Transitional Kindergarten – along with the Dual Immersion Spanish classes, has proven to be of great interest to parents living and working in Burbank, added Youssef.
Youssef noted the increase in enrollment does not take into account the new Junior Kindergarten classes that will begin in January 2015, after a successful pilot program begun in January 2014.
Another reason for the increase in enrollment is the number of inter-district permits, for those parents who work in Burbank but do not reside within school boundaries. Of the 130 or so permits issued by September 3, Youssef explained, about 75 of those are for Kindergarten.
With enrollment increases across the board, the district continues to identify reasons for those people who did decline inter-district permits or intra-district transfers, in which Burbank residents petition to be moved from one school in the district to another.
Unofficially, Youssef told the BUSD Board of Education at the biweekly meeting Thursday, September 4, if the declined permits were for Kindergarteners, the parents were looking for day care or extended hours or for Dual Immersion language programs. He anticipated more concrete data to present on declined permits and transfers in the near future.
From the August 22 report filed in advance of the September 4 Board of Education meeting, there are 6,123 students enrolled in the 11 BUSD elementary schools, ranging from 370 at Providencia and 390 at Disney to 754 at Jefferson and 668 at Bret Harte elementary schools.
There are 3,456 students enrolled in the three middle schools of Luther, Jordan and Muir. with Muir serving the most sixth, seventh and eighth graders, at 1387 enrolled.
Enrollment at the three high schools also increased to over 5,300 students, with 181 students in the continuation programs at Monterey High School. Burbank High School has 2575 students enrolled: 639 in ninth grade, 684 in tenth grade, 610 in eleventh grade and 642 in twelfth grade.
John Burroughs High School has a similar 2573 students enrolled, as of the August 22 report. JBHS has 691 in ninth grade, 647 in tenth grade, 643 in eleventh grade and 592 in twelfth grade.
Youssef noted that the totals have changed slightly in the September 3 report he discussed at the Board of Education meeting.
