The official enrollment in the Salt Lake School District is up slightly from predictions, with a total headcount of 23,556.
A count during the first week of school showed the district enrollment had climbed slightly above the estimate of 22,960. But the official count was even higher on Oct. 1, the day enrollment is taken for accreditation.The enrollment includes 14,467 in elementary schools and 9,089 in secondary schools.
High school enrollments are 1,891 at East, 2,025 at Highland and 1,578 at West.
The 36 special transfers granted to high school students are East to Highland, 14; East to West, 8; West to Highland, 2; West to East, 7; Highland to East, 4; and Highland to West, 1.
As in other years, there are also a number of "no-shows" - students who were registered in the spring but did not show up for school in the fall.
Norma McKean, manager of the Child Accounting Department, said all students will be tracked to determine whether they have moved out of the city, transferred to another district or simply are not attending school.
Several parents have contacted the Deseret News, saying they are concerned about enrollment figures and the number of "no-shows" at the city's high schools after the controversial boundary decision.
McKean reported the "no-shows" as 194 at East, 196 at Highland and 246 at West.
She said each school has been given a list of "no-shows" to determine the students' whereabouts.
If the child's current school attendance cannot be located, a social worker will be sent to the home to get the necessary information, McKean said. The social worker is responsible for working with students who are not attending, getting them into an alternative program or back into school.
Tracking students is difficult. "It's a statewide, probably a nationwide, problem," McKean said.
Until 1978, the Salt Lake School District conducted a door-to-door school census, but it proved too costly. McKean doesn't think it would be effective today. "We did the census in the days people were home. It wouldn't work today because nobody is home."