Alexandria City public schools see growth in student population By Moriah Balingit October 31 at 6:30 PM The Alexandria City public school system added nearly 600 students to its rolls this year, contributing to a 15 percent increase in ninth-graders, according to official enrollment data presented Thursday to the School Board. The numbers are in line with a long-standing trend of growth in the Washington region's school systems. The school system is now educating 14,157 students, a 4.4 increase in enrollment from last school year. The freshman class at the system's only high school, T.C. Williams, grew by 136 students from the previous school year. Karen Graf, chairwoman of the School Board, said it could signal that children who were attending private elementary school have returned to the school system to attend high school. "I would hope that is a sign of confidence around our secondary program and the quality of the teaching," she said. The system has no plans to construct a new school. But a renovation of Patrick Henry Elementary School is in the works, with plans to expand the capacity of the school and to build a recreation center on the same site. The system this year also opened a new building to house Jefferson-Houston School, which added seventh- and eighth-grade classes. Neighboring Arlington public schools saw a 5.2 percent increase in students, with 24,529 enrolled this year. The growth comes as the system works to figure out how to deal with worsening crowding. Prince William saw a 1.4 percent increase in students, with 87,108 enrolled this year, according to an enrollment report. Loudoun County, which opened three new schools this year to alleviate crowding, saw a 3.7 percent increase in enrollment, with 73,461 attending school this year, according to a report. The county has seen exponential growth in its student population, adding about 30,000 students in the past decade.