Fewer Students Enroll In Baton Rouge Schools

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Despite losing hundreds of children to private schools through the new state voucher program, the East Baton Rouge Parish public school system's enrollment is roughly in line with financial projections it made in June.

The enrollment figures were a relief to school administrators, who had feared the possibility of steeper enrollment declines that could have led to budget problems and the possibility of mid-year cutbacks.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/SNf2St ) East Baton Rouge Parish counted 42,690 students at 83 campuses last week. That's 613 fewer than the 43,303 students the school system had enrolled Oct. 1, 2011.

School system administrators had projected losing even more students when it prepared its general operating budget, 640 in all, largely because of the state's takeover this summer of Istrouma High School.

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