Student Enrollment & Capacity

A significant challenge the Facility Planning Committee had to work with is the District’s current student enrollment coupled with the future growth projected to occur.  At the time this report was written, student enrollment stood at over 5,600 students, which is well over the capacity of all schools within the District (not accounting for the additional capacity provided through modular classrooms).  By 2022-23, enrollment is projected to grow 9.2 percent over the present student enrollment and by 2032-33; enrollment is further projected to grow an additional 8.9 percent.  With this projected growth in student enrollment, the school district will exceed its overall capacity in the 2019-20 school year.  A comparison between enrollment and current capacity at each school level shows the following:

• Elementary schools are projected to exceed capacity in the 2021-22 school year
• Middle schools are projected to exceed capacity in the 2019-20 school year
• Hermiston High School is projected to exceed capacity in the 2019-20 school year

Based on the enrollment growth projections contained in this report, if a solution for additional permanent capacity is not implemented by 2022-23, it is projected that 14 additional modular classrooms will be required, equating to nearly 340 students being taught in portable classrooms.