District staff told the board kindergarten registration is tracking close to last year and fall busing registrations are higher than the same point in the previous year, though overall bus ridership remains below system capacity.
The enrollment and transportation figures are important for staffing, bus routing and operational planning for the start of the school year.
Mr. Harris reported kindergarten registrations were "right in that 300 range" and within "a half dozen" of where the district stood at the same time last year. He said fall busing registrations as of Aug. 7 were about 894 students districtwide, compared with about 722 at the same time last year, and noted uncertainty whether the increase reflected additional students or earlier parental registrations. "As far as bus capacity, we ended the year in May with about, almost just shy of 1,400 students riding the bus, so we're nowhere near capacity," Mr. Harris said.
Mr. Harris invited board members to attend employee back-to-school breakfasts: elementary staff on Thursday, Aug. 14, at 7 a.m., and middle and high school staff on Monday, Aug. 19, at 7 a.m. He said administrators will provide opening messages and staff will then report to buildings for professional development.
Separately, Mr. Harris said boilers in the Davidson High yellow building are being installed and staff believe the heating system will be operational before school starts, though testing may be constrained by warm weather.
The report was informational; the board did not take action on enrollment or transportation at the meeting.