BRANSON MISSOURI NEWS:
If Columbia is an example, it will be a long while before any school in the COC is divided into two districts.
A handful or so years ago, former Branson superintendent Doug Hayter speculated the growth of Nixa and Ozark could lead to two schools in both towns within an estimated 10 years. It looked at that time that Branson could be following the same path.
But growth at all three schools has slowed, to the point there doesn’t seem to be a chance of the schools becoming too large for one district anytime soon. Surely, no child now in grades K-12 need worry about being placed in another school district by the time they graduate.
Columbia opened a third public school, Battle, in 2013, after Hickman’s grades 9-12 enrollment reached 2,683 and Rock Bridge’s enrollment was 2,371.
Current enrollment figures released by the Missouri State High Schools Activities Association are 1,733 for Nixa, 1,632 for Ozark and 1,430 for Branson.
Nixa remains the largest school in the COC. But the Eagles’ enrollment has actually dropped by one during MSHSAA’s two-year cycle covering the 2014-‘15 and 2015-‘16 to the 2016-‘17 and 2017-‘18 school years. Ozark’s enrollment has increased by 86 and Branson’s by 42.
All three schools were growing annually by 100 or so students from 2000-‘10. The population of Nixa and Ozark has quadrupled over the last 25 years. Branson’s population has more than doubled and as many people live a few miles outside the city limits as within.
But Branson’s enrollment for the 2012-‘13 and 2013-‘14 MSHSAA cycle was 1,363, thus the Pirates have grown by a modest 67 over four years.
Poplar Bluff, of all places, has actually grown more than Branson the last two years. The Mules’ enrollment spiked from 1,349 to 1,478 the last two years.
Since when has anybody wanted to live in the Bootheel instead of the Ozarks? Just kidding, sort of, from a scribe who once called Poplar Bluff home.
Carthage’s growth from 1,238 students two years ago to 1,356 now is the most of any southwest Missouri school.
Forsyth’s enrollment was 409 two years ago and is 409 today. Reeds Spring has gone from 608 to 621, Hollister from 483 to 491 and School of the Ozarks from 87 to 98.
Blue Eye has dipped from 205 to 189.
Based on the numbers, don’t look for the Branson High Shepherds (Of The Hills), Ozark Tossers (Lambert’s reference) or Nixa Suckers (Festival) in the next decade or so.
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