Packed house at Laguna

Enrollment at Laguna Beach High School is significantly up from last

year.

Steven Keller, assistant superintendent for Laguna Beach Unified

School District, said this is the largest freshmen class he has seen

in the four years he has been with the district.

Freshmen enrollment on the first day was 322, compared to 213

seniors.

Enrollment at the high school is 1,057 students, with 130 new to

the school. Last year on the first day, enrollment was 946 total

students at the high school, according to Keller.

Keller said the numbers might not be exact.

“We’re cautious about first-day enrollment numbers,” Keller said.

Keller said the elementary schools are not seeing a significant

increase in student population, but the high school had 300 fewer

students seven years ago.

“Where they are coming from -- out of state, county, out of town,

from another local Orange County community” -- is unclear, Keller

said. “A student might have left us to attend a private school and is

coming back or is coming here for the first time from a private

school.”

He said there is a significant number of new enrollees coming from

private schools.

“We’ve hired new staff to accommodate the increase,” Keller said.

“We want to believe that parents and students view Laguna Beach

High School as an extraordinary educational experience,” Keller said.

o7By Suzie Harrison

f7