The 2014-2015 school year encompasses several new changes: new laptops, classes and even the lunchroom taking an expected turn. Though, among these changes setting this year apart from all in the past is an abnormally large freshman class. This year’s freshman student body numbers 507, the biggest class in Westside by over 20 people and the largest in eight years according to guidance counselor Theresa Henson.

Originally, the freshman class had a more modest number of around 440 students. As last year progressed, however, and this current school year came creeping around the corner, kids from all over began entering the district. In fact, 30 open enrollment students (kids living outside the district) became members of the student body along with between 40 and 50 kids who had already been living in the district but not attending a Westside school (home schooling, private school, etc.). This growth of students entering school from inside and out of the district, Henson said, was “completely unexpected.”

Unfortunately for the District 66, accommodating this many kids in one building is no easy task, especially when assigning a teacher’s role and creating schedules for the upcoming year is done well in advance.

“We do all of our staffing in February,” Henson said. “The district is used to around 450 kids; that’s the ideal number. If you have an influx of class size, that is a detriment to learning environment.”

This “detriment” to the learning environment has affected classes such as Advanced Algebra Honors. Originally a class with around 20-25 people in each section, the sudden increase of students has caused class sizes to reach as high as 35.

“We couldn’t have accounted for this when building schedules and it has affected the basic demographics in the school,” Henson said.

With a total student body amounting to 1909 people, the amount of new encounters both expected and not, within the high school will continue to build throughout the 2014-2015 school year.