Union Schools Experiences Enrollment Frenzy

Class is in session for some Green Country districts while others still have a little more than a week to go. Union Public Schools starts next Thursday, and parents are packing into the enrollment center to make sure their children are good to go.

In just the past week or so, 1,000 students have enrolled at Union, and the director of the enrollment center says there will be another big rush before school starts.

As summer winds down, students and parents are piling into the Union Public Schools enrollment center, anxious to start the new year.

"I am so excited," said sophomore Esther Nuam.

Rechonda Samuel's sons Mekhi and Able will be Union students for the first time this year. Her oldest is most excited about the dress code.

"I think it's gonna be nice since we don't have to wear a uniform no more," said Mekhi, a seventh grader.
    
He's also looking forward to no longer being an elementary school student.

"I just want to see what middle school is like," he said.

But before he can roam the halls as a middle schooler, he's got to get enrolled. The family, like many others, used the center's computers to complete the online registration and they waited about half an hour to finish up the process.    

"So far, so good, and I'm just looking forward to meeting the teachers and having a wonderful experience with Union," Rechonda Samuel said.

The enrollment center director says the past few weeks have been a frenzy, but they've gone smoothly.

"The lines just get longer," said Kelly Brassfield; Union Public Schools Enrollment. "We've had both new students and returning students."

Kelly Brassfield said there are typically about 1,600 students in the Union School District. One thousand of those have enrolled in the past week or so, and he expects at least 500 more to sign up before next Thursday.

Brassfield says school counselors handle scheduling at the secondary level,while a principals and enrollment staff handle class schedules for the lower levels.

"They spend quite a bit of time," he said. "It's kind of a Tetris game of building those classrooms and making sure class sizes are balanced."

 Union had 400 new students come to the district last year, but the enrollment director says they won't know if enrollment is up until school has been in session for a few weeks. The enrollment center  has expanded hours to 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Friday,  and it will be open this Saturday from 9 to noon. 

To make the process quicker, the district suggests registering online at home. To complete registration, parents need drop by the enrollment center to show proof of residency.