Here's everything you need to know:
From today's Times-Daily:
The school districts of Florence, Lauderdale and Franklin counties all have reported increases of more than 100 students, marked this month through the Alabama Department of Education's required reporting system. Muscle Shoals City School enrollment is up 59 students this year, while Russellville's district reported 33 more students than this time a year ago.
Colbert County schools have continued to lose enrollment throughout the decade.
According to Colbert Assistant Superintendent of Education Andy Bolding, the district has lost 360 students since October 2003. It's a loss that continues to hurt the system financially, especially with the pending proration of the state's education trust fund expected in November.
"Our enrollment has been dropping as long as I can remember," Bolding said. "We've lost some students to private schools but also to (public) schools in Muscle Shoals and Tuscumbia. The issue is perception more than anything else."
In case that wasn't clear to you, every local system EXCEPT Colbert County has gained students (and therefore FUNDING), while Colbert County has lost them. The "perception" to which Mr. Bolding refers is that your children will be safer and receive a better education essentially anyplace else.
As someone much smarter than me once said, "Perception IS reality."
Original Post