The Fairfax school division includes the city and county and is projected to share Loudon s exceptional growth rate. The Fairfax division is predicted to grow by more than 14,000 students by 2004, a five-year growth rate of 9.2 percent. Already the state s largest school division, by 2004-05, Fairfax will have more than twice as many pupils as Virginia Beach, the state s second largest division. Fairfax enrollment is projected to top 167,000 by 2004 compared to more than 72,000 in Virginia Beach. Enrollment is expected to decline in Virginia Beach by 6.3 percent during the period.
Declines are a familiar refrain in Southwest Virginia.
Wise County's 7,129 actual fall membership in 1999 is expected to go down to about 6,700 in 2004, a 6 percent decline over the period. Scott County counted 3,686 for 1999 actual fall membership, which is projected to be a little more than 3,500 in 2004, a 4.7 percent decline. Lee County's actual fall membership of 3,893 in 1999 is expected to be more than 3,600 in 2004, a 7.2 percent decrease over the five-year period. Dickenson County's 2,775 fall enrollment in 1999 is projected to be about 2,475 in 2004, a 10.9 percent decrease. Buchanan County's 4,293 actual fall enrollment in 1999 is predicted to hit approximately 3,560 in 2004, a 16.9 percent decrease.