Mustang board hears enrollment shifts, class-size trends and new high‑school scheduling options
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Summary
District leaders reported that opening Sunset Hill shifted hundreds of elementary students, the district is down roughly 40 elementary students year-over-year but continues enrollment through October 1, and high‑school blended/0‑hour options have altered class-size patterns with concerns noted in high‑school math.
Superintendent staff and board members presented enrollment data and class-size metrics across Mustang Public Schools, explaining how a recent elementary school opening and changes in secondary scheduling affected campus populations.
Stacy Edwards said the new Sunset Hill Elementary opened successfully and that the apparent declines at several elementary schools (for example, Centennial 672 to 585; Creek 696 to 636; Mustang Elementary 606 to 528; Prairie View 793 to 613) reflect student reallocations to Sunset Hill rather than net district losses. Edwards said district totals showed about 5,470 elementary students this year compared with 5,518 last year, a decline of roughly 40 students, and she cautioned kindergarten at Sunset Hill was an area under observation.
Why it matters: Shifts in enrollment affect staffing, classroom assignments and capital planning. Edwards said class-size averages at elementary schools are "looking really, really healthy," giving campuses breathing room after several years of growth.
Secondary and scheduling changes: A secondary schools presenter read PowerSchool figures showing middle‑school and high‑school enrollments (high school totals reported as 3,834: 3,250 traditional, 140 full-time virtual, 444 blended). The high school added a 0‑hour option this year (several hundred students participating, including concurrent and CareerTech enrollments), and the use of blended and concurrent courses has influenced class-size distribution.
Class-size concerns: The presenters noted core-class sizes at the high school remain a concern — 27.7% of general-education high-school classes were 30 or more students, with some math sections reaching 33 students. Presenters said co-taught sections (general ed plus special ed) and reductions in blended math enrollment contributed to higher math class sizes, and they flagged that adding a fourth year of math as a graduation requirement will increase math demand.
Virtual and blended trends: Virtual enrollment has generally declined from pandemic peaks at middle-school levels but has risen slightly in recent years at the high school; blended offerings have expanded, helping slightly lower some high-school class sizes.
Next steps: Administrators said they are monitoring hotspots (for example, sixth grade at Canyon Ridge and some intermediate-level classrooms) and reviewing staffing and scheduling to manage class-size pressures as the district continues enrollment through the October 1 reporting deadline.