By William Croyle
Enquirer contributor

FLORENCE - Enrollment in the Boone County School District's 18 schools jumped from 13,065 students four years ago to 15,048 last year. The district projects 15,600 this year and more than 18,000 in five years.

ENROLLMENT

Year / Enrollment 1996-97: 11,724 1997-98: 12,582 1998-99: 12,381 1999-00: 12,795 2000-01: 13,065 2001-02: 13,531 2002-03: 14,220 2003-04: 15,048 2004-05: 15,600 (projected) 2009-10: 18,367 (projected) Source: Kentucky Department of Education and Boone County School District

To keep up with growth, the district is building new schools, spending millions on renovations, redistricting students and buying new buses.

One of this year's biggest adjustments seems small on paper, but district officials think it will improve safety and enhance the students' education.

When school starts Monday, all 11 elementaries will start and finish 15 minutes later than they did last year. The school day will run from 8:55 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

"We changed because we have approximately 7,500 kids in the middle schools and high schools that we have to transport, then about 8,000 elementary kids to get to school," said Mike Hibbett, assistant superintendent of operational services.

"It was done to get the kids to school on time."

The district has 156 buses and about 15,000 kids to transport, which includes about 1,000 parochial-school students. The middle- and high-school students are transported first, followed by the elementary kids.

If the first wave of buses ran late, it meant the elementary kids would be late for school. "For a lot of them, we were getting them there at the time the bell rang," said Hibbett.

The tight schedule also put more stress on the bus drivers.

"With traffic the way it is and the way the county is growing, they were having to rush the kids here," said Yealey Elementary Principal Nancy Rogers

Hibbett said the district considered other options, including not transporting students who live within a mile of school. Adding more buses was not an option since they cost about $60,000 each and 12 were just bought last year.

"We looked at all the scenarios and the 15 minutes was the best right now," said Hibbett.

Hibbett said he got only one phone call from a parent unhappy about the change. "I give the parents a lot of credit," said Hibbett. "We have to change things all the time and they're very supportive."

E-mail williamcroyle@yahoo.com