Erwin HS Erwin’s enrollment increases by leaps


By Allison Huggins Tis year teachers at Erwin High


School have not only had to stress over lesson plans and grade books, but also whether or not they would have enough desks for their students. Te enroll- ment at Erwin has experienced a major influx–it’s increased from around 1,150 students last year to 1,270 students this year. Te 2010-2011 freshman class is the largest in Erwin’s recent history, leaving classrooms with over 30 stu- dents and teachers helpless with where to seat them. On the third floor of Erwin High


School, there is a hallway reserved spe- cifically for freshman students called “Te Freshman Academy.” While Er- win has accepted numerous transfers this year, the freshman class dominates in overall numbers; 375 students make up the freshman class. Te enrollment numbers over the


past five years have consisted of 1,120 total students in 2006, 1,135 in 2007, 1,117 in 2008, 1,087 in 2009 and 1,156 in 2010, compared with the 1,270 overall enrollment for the current year. Despite the size of the class of 2014,


the English and business departments are carrying around the bulk of the weight. “We have so many students, our


classrooms are overflowing. When you have so many students, transitions are not as smooth and things take longer than anticipated. It effects in- structional time negatively,” said Me- gan Morgan, English teacher at Erwin High School. With Erwin and other Buncombe


County schools fighting to stay afloat in the worst budget crisis since the Great Depression, the administrators


have done all they could to lighten the load of the increase. Erwin has hired an extra teacher in both the English and business departments, but only for one semester. Even with the new additions, Erwin


still needs more teachers. With the up- surge of new students, the budget crisis and overcrowded classrooms, teachers are faced with new concerns and chal- lenges they have never had to deal with before. “My major concern is making sure


every student gets what they need. Be- cause when you have 34 students, there are always a few that slip through the cracks,” said Morgan. While the size of the freshman class


contributes to most of the growth, the remaining source comes from the tre- mendous decrease in dropout rates. Te dropout count decreased from 115 students in 2007 and 107 in 2008 to 60 in 2009. Te rate went from a hefty 10.1 percent to 5.2 percent over the course of two years. “Tree or four things are leading


people into the Erwin community. First, is the economy. Many people are facing foreclosure on their homes and are having to move in with other fami- lies. Tis leads to homes with two sets of parents and kids living together, and twice the amount of students attend- ing Erwin. Also, the affordable hous- ing in our district might be a family’s last chance to survive in today’s harsh times,” said Dr. Jim Brown, principal of Erwin High School. In the September 2010 issue of Busi-


ness North Carolina magazine, statis- tics showed that Buncombe County had a 8 to 9 percent unemployment rate, with North Carolina at 10 per- cent and the U.S. at 9.5 percent; an increase from last year’s 5 to 7 percent


The number of Erwin students is growing.


in the state. Tis could be one of the contributing factors for the increase in students at Erwin, as well as the afford- able housing in the Buncombe County area. In fact, according to buncombe- county.org, the median selling price for a home in Buncombe County was $225,000 in 2008, and then $187,000 in 2009–a dramatic decrease. While Brown acknowledges the


size of the freshman class as part of the inflation, he believes that the de- cline of dropouts is the source of the overcrowding. “Te third reason the enrollment continues to rise, would be the decrease in dropouts. Dropouts are way down from last year, and peo- ple are starting to recognize that. Our school is finally getting the recognition


it deserves. We are getting noticed for our exceptional rates of learning and big turn around in sports. Te quality of Erwin has altogether gotten better, which is attracting more and more families into Erwin’s community,” said Brown. While dropout rates and the effect


of the economy are obvious reasons, Morgan believes in another source. “I am one of those people who was lucky enough to be born here, and I’m here to stay,” she said. Despite the negatives of the growth in students, Morgan sees the influx as beneficial. “It means the county will provide us with more re- sources, our school will have more press and it lets us have a positive impact on even more kids. With our ‘powers to


Meet Allison Huggins My name is Allison Huggins, and I am a senior at Erwin High School.


In order to graduate, each senior is required to complete the graduation senior project. Tis project consists of a research paper, practical experi- ence and a product. For my project, I decided to focus on a career I plan on pursuing in col-


lege: Journalism. I e-mailed Clint Parker (of the Weaverville Tribune/ Leicester Leader) about being my mentor for my practical experience, and he agreed. I spent 15 hours with Parker dis-


cussing the field and working on my final product, which was to be an article about the increase in students at Erwin. During my time I have learned of all the work and people that go behind each and every story, only pushing me harder to reach my dream of becoming a reporter. As I enter college, I know this experience will assist me in reaching my goals and dreams. Tanks to everyone at the Tribune who took time to aid me during my practical experience.


18 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - November 11 - November 17, 2010 “Po s i t i v e .


Te increase gives more chances


for


people meet- ing new people and making new friends, which leads to a more comfortable learning en- vironment.”


- Michael Ballew “I think it’s


a good and bad thing be- cause of more students, but less time with the teacher.” – Kelsey Bailey


www.weavervilletribune.com


be’ hiring a new English teacher, this increase is nothing but a positive.”


One on One with Erwin’s newest additions:


Is the sud-


den increase a positive or negative thing for Erwin? “I think it’s


a positive be- cause it shows that less kids are dropping out. Tat means our school is helping students more.”


– Samantha Abdul-Allah


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