The first day of school is an incredibly exciting experience for students and faculty, regardless of how many “first days” they’ve been through. This past first day at Cinco Ranch High School, however, was met with concern and anxiety from administrators, as Cinco is overpopulated by almost 800 students. 800 is a serious number when it comes to students, as evidenced by the fact that the graduating class of Cinco Ranch last year was 806 students. So yes, Cinco Ranch, with its 3488 active students, has bitten off far more than it can chew, but what does that mean for students? 

Students have already felt the effects of being overpopulated, in both good and bad ways. Classes that are normally discarded due to lack of student interest, like AP Seminar, are happening for the first time, introducing higher-level curriculum and valuable experience in underexplored areas. Additionally, more periods of mandatory classes are necessary to accommodate the students in each grade, leading to the hiring of several new teachers, which brings in new perspectives and teaching strategies. Sports teams are filled, and more students than ever are competing in a wide range of UIL and non-UIL activities. Unfortunately for students, though, the negative consequences of being at 130% capacity far outweigh the positive. 

There is no shortage of logistical difficulties presented by the nearly 3500 students here at Cinco Ranch, arguably the most impactful of which is the constant congestion in the main hallway. The seven minute passing period, designed to account for the size of the school, is no longer cutting it for students, who now also have to deal with the full force of the student body as they make their way to class. Although the new exemption policy allows exemptions regardless of tardies or absences,  The growing number of tardies is increased even further by another of the consequences of overpopulation, the exponential growth in the number of portables in use. Finally, the commons, both main and freshman, are left with standing room only. Despite students being crammed together at every table, there is still not enough room for all to sit, and the overflow of students are forced to sit elsewhere, whether that be the stage steps, the rotunda, or even the bathrooms. 

The number of students has caused a potentially disastrous issue for the students at Cinco. The classes are filled to, and often beyond, capacity, taking the possibility of one-on-one, specially tailored education away from students. Teachers, several of them in their first year here at Cinco, have had to readjust massively, going from teaching roughly 20 in-person students last year to, in some cases, over 40 this year. 

The school is making some attempts to address the new difficulties presented by the student population, but students are still left at a significant disadvantage. High school is challenging enough as it is. Students and faculty don’t need the added stress of being massively overpopulated. 

For more information, see link: https://www.katyisd.org/sites/bonds/Pages/Capacity-and-Growth.aspx