Enrollment

As a vote looms to formally close a charter school in Edgewater, Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold and schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell yesterday called on an Annapolis art institute and the college that has housed the 2-year-old KIPP Harbor Academy to find room for its students. But officials at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and Sojourner-Douglass College were surprised by the public call for them to "engage in another round of discussions" with KIPP representatives; the college's director called it "misleading."

Savings available on prescriptions Anne Arundel County residents can get significant savings on prescription medications through the Department of Health's Prescription Discount Program. Program participants can receive a discount card that offers an average discount of 25 percent. County residents enrolled in Medicare Part D can use the card for savings on prescriptions that are not covered by their Medicare Part D program. The card also could provide discounts on routine vision and hearing care, which is not covered by Medicare.

The budget approved by the Baltimore school board last month overstated the school system's enrollment for the current academic year by 1,000 students, officials acknowledged last night. A new version of the budget, presented to the public this week, says there are 82,381 children attending city schools this year. The version that the school board approved said there are 83,312. It was a mistake that could have had multimillion-dollar implications for the system, which receives government funds based on the number of students it serves.

WHOEVER IN government first decided to call a tax increase "revenue enhancement," would be proud of the Harford County Board of Education.Rather than advertise that it was meeting on "school redistricting," which would have have generated more electricity than Conowingo Dam, the board recently held a session it euphemistically titled "managing growth and balancing enrollment -- next steps," whatever that means. Then the board feigned shock when only a few residents attended.Officials shouldn't mistake that as a sign few care.

It's still unclear whether the people fighting for a new high school in Westminster will win their battle. What is clear is that they deserve an A for effort.At a presentation last night before the Board of County Commissioners, they had videos, color charts on the overhead projector, startling statistics -- and about 300 parents cheering them on.After the 120 chairs in a meeting room at the County Office Building were taken, parents sat on the floor, leaned against walls and trickled into the hallways.

CareFirst BlueCross Blue-Shield experienced dramatic enrollment gains in the first quarter, but rising health care and prescription drug costs have held back profit-margin growth, the company said yesterday.Owings Mills-based CareFirst, which operates the Maryland and District of Columbia Blues plans, posted a $16.9 million operating profit for the first quarter, which ended March 31.That was up 22 percent from $13.9 million in the first quarter of 1998. Revenue in the quarter was $1.08 billion, up 14 percent from $946 million in last year's first quarter.

At the downtown Baltimore offices of the Maryland Prepaid College Trust, the atmosphere feels like a campaign headquarters a week before Election Day."I think we have done everything we can to get the word out," said Joan Marshall, the program's executive director. "Now it is up to the people of Maryland to decide if this is what they want to do."The state-sponsored college savings program that allows parents of youngsters to pay state school costs essentially at today's prices -- a hedge against a rise in tuition and fees -- is still looking for the 10,000 participants it needs to be a self-sustaining enterprise.

Rose Anne Kearns couldn't imagine what she'd do with a school full of pupils.Enrollment figures show that her school -- Bear Creek Elementary in Dundalk -- could hold another 230 pupils, but Kearns, the principal, says that would mean "teachers in the halls and the lobby trying to teach."As the Baltimore County school board takes a preliminary step tonight toward closing schools for the first time in more than 15 years, it must decide how small it can allow elementary schools to become.While declining enrollment at some schools such as Bear Creek doesn't necessarily mean smaller class sizes, it does provide space -- a luxury unheard of elsewhere in the county.

For the first time in almost two decades, Baltimore County educators say they may have to close some elementary schools because of dwindling enrollment, perhaps shutting them down as early as fall 2000.While schools in the western, northeastern and northwestern areas of the county are bursting with students, enrollment has been steadily dropping in such southeast areas as Dundalk and Edgemere."We have enrollment declines in the southeast area, and there are some schools that we may need to consider closing," said schools Superintendent Anthony G. Marchione.

Coaches at Pallotti High, a Catholic school in Laurel with about 450 students, are making a strong push to break its nine-year tie with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and join the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association."

There are probably people who are very happy that Towson University looks harder to get into these days than nearby Goucher College, but I doubt they include the 6,928 applicants whom Towson rejected for its 2009 freshman class. Not long ago it was "Towson State" and letting in nearly three of every four applicants. Now it is attracting more kids from New York and New Jersey and admitting only 56 percent overall. This fall's admission rate for the private Goucher, which describes itself as "selective," was 72 percent.

Nathan Carriere, a recent Wilde Lake High School graduate, originally wanted to go to a college that would allow him to leave home and be on his own. But he quickly realized that this freedom came with a big cost. Carriere decided to save money and ease his parents' angst. He's going to Howard Community College. "It's $8,000 for tuition at four-year colleges," said Carriere, who wants to major in premedicine. "I'm only paying $2,000 here. I'm also saving time with the commuting. It's also less stress for [my parents]

A year into a new effort to expand health coverage, recession-weary Marylanders are flocking to the state's Medicaid program in numbers far greater than expected, costing the state $50 million more in the process. As of this week, 44,255 additional state residents had enrolled in Maryland's Medicaid system after income limits were significantly relaxed, outpacing projections that enrollment would increase by 26,605. Officials say the economic downturn has swelled the ranks of the unemployed, driving more people than expected into the public plan.

Howard County's highly praised attempt to provide low-cost, preventive medical care for uninsured residents is off to a slower than expected start. Only about 200 people have joined since enrollment in Healthy Howard began last Oct. 1, county health officer Dr. Peter L. Beilenson said, falling short of the admittedly ambitious goal he set of signing up 2,000 members in the program's first year. "Enrollment is not where I hoped it would be," Beilenson admitted under critical questioning at a recent county council budget hearing.

Crafting a new way to extend medical services to uninsured residents has proved tricky for county health officials. The health staff was initially overwhelmed in October, when 1,100 people came to the East Columbia library during nine sessions to enroll in Healthy Howard Inc. All but 66 turned out to be eligible for four existing insurance plans for limited-income people. Now county health officer Dr. Peter Beilenson has come up with a new plan to reopen enrollment while trying to counter criticism from County Council member Greg Fox, a Fulton Republican.

The small number of residents found to be eligible for Howard's new health access program for the uninsured during the initial enrollment period has prompted a call from a County Council member to consider redirecting some of the money for the initiative. Given the difficult economic climate, part of the $500,000 set aside for Healthy Howard this year could be of more use going to traditional nonprofits, Councilman Greg Fox said Monday at a budget briefing for the council. During October, the first month of enrollment, about 1,100 people registered for Healthy Howard.

Enrollment in Baltimore County public schools has continued to decline slightly, but areas of growth - with some schools far exceeding their capacity - remain, according to a new report. This year marks the sixth consecutive time that the school system has had fewer students than the previous year. There are 103,643 students enrolled - down 1,071 from 2007. The district has about 5,100 fewer students than in 2003. "We are a county that has pockets of growth and decline happening simultaneously in many different areas," said Chris Brocato, a school system planning analyst, referring to the 2008 report on enrollment, projections and capacities, which is to be presented to the school board tonight.

Bad time to cut funding to community colleges Historically, during an economic downturn, students turn more than ever to community colleges for workforce training and an affordable alternative to more expensive public and private four-year institutions. Howard Community College is already experiencing significant increases in the number of high school graduates enrolling. Additionally, this fall's full-time equivalent student enrollment increased 6.26 percent over last year - more than double the projected increase of 3 percent.

Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso's recent announcement that for the first time in decades, city schools posted a modest rise in enrollment was a welcome surprise. State officials had predicted the schools would lose about 3,000 students this year; instead, the system saw a small increase of about 800 students, much of it attributable to fewer dropouts between the ninth and 10th grades and to more parents enrolling their children in prekindergarten programs. If the trend continues, it could signal the first time since 1969 that Baltimore's public schools were a growth enterprise.

Enrollment in the Baltimore schools has been plummeting since 1969. But not this year. City schools chief Andres Alonso threw a party at M&T Bank Stadium yesterday morning to announce that the enrollment decline has stopped - the result of more parents choosing to send their children to public elementary schools and fewer high school students dropping out. The school system's enrollment peaked at 193,000 in 1969. Last academic year, it was 81,274. Officials are still finalizing this year's figure, but it's estimated to be about 82,000.