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SVVSD prepares for annual October Count day

October Count day falls on October 6.
SVVSD Buses (2 of 2) (1)
SVVSD school bus

The St. Vrain Valley School district is once again preparing to count students for its annual October Count day.

Annually, districts across the state are required by the Colorado Department of Education, or CDE, to provide an accurate count of students enrolled. The data collected reflect “changes in enrollment at a school by grade level, as well as provides information on birth numbers, free/reduced lunch counts, ethnic breakdowns, English language learners, private school and home school enrollment, the impacts of choice, enrollment projections, capacity, building permit activity by community and a variety of other indicators,” according to the district website.

October Count day falls on the first Wednesday of October, canceling the district’s usual late start. On this day schools “are asked to report all students who are actively enrolled and attending classes through their district on that date,” according to the CDE website. Historically, SVVSD makes an effort to reach out to families to encourage all students attend class that day in order to get the best count possible.  

During Wednesday night’s school board meeting, Superintendent Don Haddad said preparations are already underway for tallying numbers for this school year. 

The district has completed several Count days over the years, Haddad said. “They have yielded a steady increase in numbers up until this last one where it plateaued and stabilized.”

“While the submission should only include those students who meet the membership and scheduling requirements as of the pupil enrollment count day, the actual submission process begins in September and closes mid-November,” according to the CDE website. 

Haddad said staff are ready to start the process, already noticing several hundred new students enrolled based on preliminary data. 

“I’ve always been a believer that the more the better. I’d just as soon have 100,000 students, because when you have that many kids, you have that much excitement going on everywhere,” Haddad said.