Carson student enrollment rates are lower for the 2025-26 school year, and it could be due to a variety of reasons.
Mr. Chris Powell, one of the assistant principals at Carson, said Carson is a big school, and lower enrollment rates can have both pros and cons.
“A bigger school means more opportunities for teachers,” he said, “therefore more support, clubs, etc.”
Ms. Sharri Clifford, the Trailblazers’ history teacher, said lower enrollment rates can mean less traffic in the halls, a higher chance to get into the same class as your friends, and a tighter community.
“I think a smaller school is much easier to build a [tight] community in,” she said. “I think lower enrollment rates make halls less crowded and cuts down on some bad choices [that students can make].”
Mr. Powell also mentioned that, sometimes, higher enrollment rates can cause teachers to need to prep a lot more, and maybe even take on another course.
“For example, a teacher who teaches only one subject, might have to teach two,” he said.
Additionally, Ms. Clifford mentioned that class sizes can actually get bigger, despite the lower numbers.
“It actually ends up being opposite of what most people think,” she said. “It means that [students] are crammed more into the classes that are left.”
However, the staff at RCMS try to reduce the staff to student ratio wherever they can, even though reducing it is hard.
Mr. Powell said, “We pride ourselves on trying to create the smallest classes we can whenever we can.”
Ms. Clifford added that another thing that will take place are staff cuts, as a result of the lower rates.
She said, “They might have to let teachers go, and [we could] lose teachers from cuts.”
Along with the pros and cons, class dynamics can also shift.
“[Our teachers] are very good at teaching,” Mr. Powell said. “Whether we have 32 students in a class or a smaller class.”
Ms. Elizabeth Novelo, the student services assistant, and Ms. Jennifer Miley, the student services director, think that the lower rates could result because of a couple of different reasons.
“Enrollment can go up or down for many reasons,” they said, “like families moving, changes in housing, or students choosing other programs or schools.
Ms. Clifford also thinks that lower enrollment rates can impact the likelihood of students getting into the same classes as their friends.
She said, “If we’re smaller, [it’s more likely] that you would get into a class with friends.”
Despite the lowering rates, Mr. Powell agrees that Carson wants staff and students to have a positive experience.
“The quality of the teacher and their relationship with the student is the leading predictor of success,” Mr. Powell said.
