WEST LAFAYETTE — Student enrollment at Tippecanoe School Corporation has shot up 20 percent in the past decade, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Ten years ago, the district had just under 11,300 students. Today, more than 13,300 students attend 19 schools in the district.
TSC officials expect the upward trend to continue into the foreseeable future as nearby residential areas expand, but the explosive growth creates a bit of a dilemma: Its schools are quickly running out of space.
"The entire community continues to grow and that’s because of the jobs," said TSC Superintendent Scott Hanback. "It’s a wonderful problem to have for Greater Lafayette."
Schools in the northwestern region of Tippecanoe County are experiencing the greatest squeeze, he said, including Burnett Creek Elementary School, Klondike and Battle Ground elementary and middle schools, and William Henry Harrison High School.
Harrison, which enrolls nearly 2,000 students, has experienced an annual boost of 70 to 75 additional students for the past few years, Harrison Principal Cory Marshall said. And that's putting pressure on the high school's capacity.
"We're in a situation right now where we have space, but we’re nearing the point where that space is going to be filled," he said.
The enrollment increase, coupled with an aging 1970s-era facility, is driving plans for a large-scale project at the school that could begin as early as spring 2018.