Education official talks numbers about Houston schools

The deputy superintendent of Houston County Board of Education breaks down the numbers and outlook for the district.

Residence: Warner Robins

Occupation: Deputy superintendent, Houston County Board of Education

Q: How many students were enrolled as Houston County public schools opened Aug. 2?

A: On the first day, 28,079 students came to school. The first day, and the first couple of weeks, always reflect a lower number than what final enrollment turns out to be. In comparison, our current official enrollment is 29,003. That’s based on the number of students at school in October 2016, the official enrollment figure used by the state year-to-year for a consistent annual comparison.

Q: Was this year’s first-day count up or down from last year?

A: It was up from last year’s by 1,012 students.

Q: What do you expect your official enrollment number will be?

A: We expect about 29,450 students this year.

Q: How many classroom teachers in Houston County schools?

A: We have 2,234 certified employees.

Q: How many total schools are there in the system?

A: Thirty-seven schools, including our alternative school that serves grades 6-12.

Q: How many elementary and primary schools?

A: Twenty-three.

Q: Middle schools? And what grades are middle schools?

A: We have eight middle schools with sixth through eighth grades.

Q: And how many high schools?

A: Five throughout the county. We also have two more campuses, the Houston County Career Academy and the Elberta Center.

Q: What’s the number of support staff? Administrators, librarians/media center specialists and such?

A: Administrators and media specialists are certified educators. We have 158 administrators and 153 who serve as either a media specialist, school counselor, school psychologist or in a similar service area. Of our current 4,887 total employees, 2,653 are categorized as classified support staff such as paraprofessionals, maintenance, transportation and school nutrition employees. Typically, more than 5,000 people each month receive a pay check from our district, including substitute teachers.

Q: Were there any big changes how schools are operating this year?

A: No, there were no big changes put in place.

Q: How many buses and drivers are transporting students to and from school?

A: About 13,800 students are transported twice daily. There are 178 bus routes and 196 bus drivers.

Q: Do you know how many miles are driven daily to get students to school and then back home?

A: Our bus drivers safely transport students about 11,430 miles each day.

Q: Was there a system theme for teachers as administrators sent them back into the classroom this year?

A: Our system priorities this year are literacy, standards-based instruction, multitiered system of support and professional learning communities. Each certified staff member was given a copy of the children’s book, “First Day Jitters,” and encouraged to share it with a child to help promote literacy.

Q: What’s the biggest concern — biggest challenge — school system officials face in the coming year?

A: National statistics show as a nation we’ve been facing a teacher shortage. While we’ve still been able to have 100 percent of our staff professionally qualified, we’re beginning to feel the effects of a teacher shortage here in Houston County. Over the past few years, we have experienced difficulties in finding certified teachers in some areas such as math and science at the secondary level and in specialty areas like art, speech, school psychologists, French and agriculture. This year, not only have we had a difficult time finding teachers for specialty areas and math and science, but we’ve also had difficulty filling all of our elementary vacancies with certified teachers.

Q: What’s the No. 1 tip you would give students for the new school year?

A: Set goals for yourself. Ask yourself what you would like to accomplish by the end of the school year and make a plan on how you will set out to reach those goals.

Q: How about the No. 1 tip, or request, for parents?

A: Parent involvement in a child’s education is essential for academic success. Talk with your child daily about what they’re learning. Expand learning at school through conversations at home and family outings. I encourage parents to visit their child’s school and communicate with their child’s teacher regularly. By regular communication with school staff, parents will remain informed of the facts surrounding happenings at the school. Parents are our partners!

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Education official talks numbers about Houston schools."