MARLBOROUGH – Marlborough Public Schools welcomed 4,683 students on the first day of classes on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
And more may be coming.
During the School Committee meeting on Aug. 29, Superintendent Mary Murphy said that the current enrollment “was pretty stable,” but about 96 students – mostly in kindergarten – are still in preregistration.
The School Committee Chair Mayor Arthur Vigeant said the city could be expecting more homeless families from the state.
He said there are currently 86 families – 55 at the Holiday Inn and 31 at the Extended Stay – with at least 26 school-age students.
Another increase in enrollment could add further stress to a school system already dealing with large class sizes.
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Here’s a look at the elementary school numbers for 2023-24:
- Jaworek – 671 enrolled, average class size 20.3 students
- Kane – 503 enrolled, average class size 19.3 students
- Richer – 549 enrolled, average class size 19.6 students
- Goodnow Brothers – 768 enrolled, class size 20.8 students
At the Early Childhood Center, there are 244 students enrolled.
Whitcomb Middle School has 955 students for the new school year, while Marlborough High School welcomed 968 students.
In addition, there are 25 enrolled in Marlborough Adult Education.
Through the summer, some spaces have been reconfigured to accommodate programs. For example, the high school library was altered to provide several spaces for the Bridge and TLC programs. In the high school cafeteria, the kitchen storage area has been converted into a pair of offices.
“We are out of space in Marlborough Public Schools,” said Murphy.
Although there are currently 54 open positions within the district, Murphy said, “All classroom positions are filled.” The positions include paraprofessionals, behavior technicians, cafeteria helpers and custodians.
