Brunswick County elementary Schools faces overcrowding issues
"We have to feed 822 students, give or take, every day."
BRUNSWICK COUNTY (WWAY)– Some Brunswick County Schools are facing an overcrowding issue. It started about a year ago due to an increase in population, and now the district is trying to do something to alleviate the problem.
At Belville Elementary School, Allison Dixon is responsible for more than just the principal’s duties; she’s also responsible for crowd control.
“We have to feed 822 students, give or take, every day,” Dixion said.
Over the past year, Brunswick County has seen an influx of families with their children needing somewhere to go to school. It’s just that schools like Belville Elementary are becoming a little bit overcrowded.
“We have to bring in more tables to fit everybody in. Then we also have a small cafeteria over here,” Dixion said.
So, we asked Principal Dixon to show us to get a look ourselves.
“We have our state legislation that protects the number of students that are allowed to be in their class,” Dixion explained. “But when you get to fourth and fifth grades, there is no legislation.”
Dixion says Kindergarten is allowed to have up to 21 students.
“[I]thought I would show him the trailers out here,” Dixion said to a fifth-grade class.
However, when we visited a fifth-grade class, “My largest group is 30,” one Belville teacher shared.
It’s unfortunate because Dixon says some of her staff will lose their office or shared spaces for more Kindergarten classrooms. However, the Brunswick County School District is working to buy land to build another elementary school.
“A new elementary school would [just] be a relief. I don’t think our students are negatively impacted but, I wouldn’t say it would hurt. A new school would obviously alleviate some of the crowdedness,” Dixion said.
Until that happens, Dixon’s teachers are doing the best with what they can.
“Our teachers are rock stars here at Belville. They do an outstanding job of going above and beyond for our students, no matter how many students are in their classrooms, whether five or it’s 30,” Dixion said.
Last week, Leland Town Council approved a resolution allowing the exploration of an annexation petition from “Jackey’s Creek Investors” for land for the school. The 1,100-acre plot of land, that could hold a new school, would be the same area where a Minor League baseball stadium could’ve gone before negotiations for that idea fell through.
