Bay District Schools' enrollment drops post-Hurricane Michael

Since Hurricane Michael, Bay District families have had to relocate.

Bay District Schools released early data showing changes in enrollment for all schools except Chautauqua Charter School.

Some schools with the most significant drops in enrollment are Merritt Brown Middle School, Springfield Elementary, and Tyndall Elementary.

District officials said in a handout that Hurricane Michael damaged every building in the district.

As for the district as a whole, enrollment dropped by 2,620 students between October 5th and November 15th.

Looking at attendance numbers, the data was pulled from October 5th. These numbers may be lower than usual because of two factors: It was the Friday before a holiday and before a major storm made landfall.

Denise Kelley, Assistant Superintendent of Bay District Schools, said attendance numbers continue to increase each day as students return to the classroom.

The reason why attendance numbers differ from enrollment numbers is because students may not be showing up to class, but they are still technically enrolled in the school or the district has not been notified of a transfer or withdrawal.

"We are not withdrawing any students unless we have located them or unless a school has requested records for them. We don't want any child to go under the radar and us not know where the child is," Kelley said.

In fact, the district has to go and look for students they haven't heard from.

"Mr. Husfelt has identified some district personnel and they are actually looking for the students, trying to track them down," Kelley said.

District officials said more than 200 portable buildings have been ordered so students can have classrooms.

Several schools are now sharing campuses due to storm-related damage.