Campus populations at all-time highs

DOWNEY - With 40 acres of land and 391,000 enclosed square feet, Warren High School is at its largest population yet.According to enrollment reports from the first day of school, Warren is roughly at 3,840 students. This is close to 4 percent higher than the previous year of the estimated 3,690 and 6 percent higher than the 3,620 in 2008. As the year progresses and more students transfer in and out of the school, the number fluctuates. Principal John Harris said, "It is difficult to compare numbers from one year to the next until the second full week of school," Principal John Harris said. With new reconstructions, Warren has expanded but the growth of students is still widely felt. "Since I can remember in my 25 years of teaching, this is the most crowded year," said English teacher Debbie Harr. "The hallways are like major highways." With about 3,840 students, the hallways are packed during passing periods and the quad is crowded during snack time. With these conflicts in mind, senior Angel Bazaan, a transfer student from Central Union High School said, "Central Union has more classes available but Warren has more opportunity. Although crowded, there is more diversity, which is better because you can interact with more people from different backgrounds. I also like that the teachers here care more about your education; they're on your case, but to benefit you." Downey High School With 44 acres of land and 404,000 enclosed square feet, Downey is also at its highest population at roughly 4,240 students. Comparing the first day of school from the last three years, Downey has risen 2.2 percent from about 4,150 students in 2009 and 3.9 percent from about 4,080 students in 2008. "Downey is really full, but we should note that the renovations after two years allow the school to handle this many students, just barely," Principal Tom Houts said. "The top school district contributing to Downey in the past was Norwalk, but significantly more students from Lynwood and L.A. Unified have enrolled this year." With a larger campus than Warren, Downey still faces similar problems as the population is much larger. "Its way too crowded," said senior John Kim. "Positively I see a lot more diversity but negatively I can't eat because there are too many students and the two lunches aren't enough to divide the students."

********** Published: September 16, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 22