OSD Enrollment Numbers Increased by 4.5 Percent

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing students to stay home last year and some families choosing to home school this year, the Oxford School District’s enrollment grew 4.5 percent from last year.

SuzAnne Liddell, chief of accountability and accreditation, announced the enrollment numbers Monday during the OSD Board of Trustees regular meeting.

“Despite Covid and our feelings about masks – whether to wear them or not, it hasn’t stopped our enrollment from growing,” she said.

As of the start of the school year two weeks ago, the district has 4,726 students, up from 4,522 students last school year.

“If we continue with that growth, in five years we’ll be looking at 5,889 students,” she said. “I was a bit shocked at those numbers. I said last month that I thought we’d be the same – I was wrong and we don’t see it slowing at this time.”

Enrollment by school

• Bramlett Elementary 582
• Central Elementary 760
• Della Davidson Elementary 712
• Oxford Intermediate 675
• Oxford Middle School 679
• Oxford High School 1,344

COVID-19 Numbers ‘Low’

During the meeting Monday, Superintendent Bradley Roberson reported on the number of COVID-19 cases and associated quarantines.

He said the district currently had 35 positive cases with 145 students in quarantine.

“Our numbers remain low when compared to many other school districts around the state,” he said.

He said of the 145 students being quarantined, 60 will be returning to school on Monday.

He compared the number of quarantined students to surrounding school districts from Aug. 9 -13 when the OSD had 60 students in quarantine.

The school district Roberson compared to OSD included:

• Lafayette County with 248 students quarantine
• Pontotoc with 390 students quarantine
• Calhoun County with 672 students in quarantine
• South Panola with 216 students in quarantine
• New Albany with 354 students in quarantine

“If we can maintain our numbers, we can remain in school,” he said. “Having our kids in school provides us with the best opportunity to provide them the best education possible.”

Last week, the OSD extended its mask mandate through Sept. 15.

The Lafayette County School District is no longer reporting its COVID-19 data on its website. On Monday, the district announced its data will be available on the Mississippi State Department of Health website; however, the latest report there was filed on Aug. 13.

Last week, the LCSD reported 15 cases of COVID-19, with seven being students at the high school.