Kindergarten enrollment hasn't really increased in the Cape Girardeau School District, although some schools already have reached their limit.

"It's about the same as we have had in the past," said Dr. Richard Bollwerk, assistant superintendent of Cape Girardeau schools.

With only a week left before classes begin, only 20 kindergarten students had enrolled at May Greene Elementary School, while Charles Clippard had already reached its capacity.

As more classes fill up with last-minute enrollments, some students could be shifted to other schools. Schools in Cape Girardeau set a 25-student cap for kindergarten classes.

"Traditionally we have higher numbers at Alma Schrader and Clippard," Bollwerk said.

When an elementary school reaches its class-size limit, the remaining students are bused to a nearby school.

"We will go over 25 sometimes but we don't want to," said David Giles, principal at Alma Schrader Elementary School. Teacher assistants often help with classes that have more than 20 students.

Both Alma Schrader and Charles Clippard Elementary schools were near the limit Monday morning for all sections of their kindergarten classes. Clippard has 25 students enrolled in each section while Alma Schrader had about four slots left for students.

May Greene Elementary School had the lowest enrollment with just 20 students, but more students are expected to enroll before next Monday when classes begin. Last year the school had 40 students in kindergarten. About half of them enrolled during the last week of summer break.

When kindergarten classes reached their limits in the past, Alma Schrader students were sent to Charles Clippard School. Now Clippard students may have to go to Franklin or Jefferson Elementary schools also.

Last year 66 kindergarten students enrolled at the Clippard School but only 50 could attend classes there, Bollwerk said.

High kindergarten enrollment doesn't always mean a problem as the class advances, however. Once students reach first grade, class sizes are generally larger -- up to 30 students per classroom.

In Jackson, record numbers of kindergarten students aren't anticipated. The district reached its highest kindergarten enrollment ever -- 330 students -- last fall. By Monday afternoon, almost 320 students had enrolled at the Primary Annex. A few more are expected to enroll this week. Classes begin Wednesday.

Kindergarten enrollment declined slightly at Perry County School District schools. Only 155 kindergarten students are enrolled. Last fall 162 students were enrolled for the first day of classes.

ENROLLMENT

KINDERGARTEN

Cape Girardeau

Class size is limited to 25 students per kindergarten section in the district.

Alma Schrader 71

Charles Clippard 50

Franklin 50

Jefferson 48

Washington 37

May Greene 20

Total 276

Jackson

Average class size is 23 students with 14 sections of kindergarten at the Primary Annex.

Total 320

Perryville

Average class size is near 25 students for the six section of kindergarten at the district's Kindergarten Center.

Total 155