PHOTO BY GABE WOLF Longtime Lampasas High School teacher and coach Trent Lancaster waits patiently for students to trickle into his classroom on the first day of the 2008-09 school term. This year marks the last the campus will be used for high school, as this time next year, the new LHS facility will be open. Lampasas Independent School District's numbers are down, and Superintendent Dr. Brant Myers said the story is the same for a number of rural school districts across the state.

High gasoline prices, he believes, are driving folks back to bigger cities, leaving smaller districts with fewer students.

At opening day of the 2008-09 school term, the Lampasas district had 3,288 students, down from 3,419 last year and 3,368 at the beginning of the 2006- 07 school year. Only four grades recorded increased enrollment figures -- and those were only slight elevations.

Myers said traditionally enrollment figures increase after the Labor Day holiday, but he wasn't optimistic they would increase enough to bring the district where it needs to be.

Three of the four LISD campuses showed decreased enrollment, while only Lampasas Middle School had an increase -- of just four students -- over the previous year.

Lampasas High School has begun 2008-09 with 1,041 students -- 47 less than it had at the start of the last school year. Two of its four grades -- ninth and 12th -- showed increased enrollment figures.

The campus also boasts the largest grade, as freshmen totaled 279 the first day.

Last year, the sophomore class was the largest with almost 300 students enrolled on opening day. This year's 10th-grade class had 257 students.

The junior class dropped 30 students from the previous year's report.

The Lampasas High School Class of 2009 began the year with the smallest enrollment at the high school, as 250 seniors showed up, compared to 247 last year.

Lampasas Middle School's small enrollment increase was reflected in its seventh-graders, as 273 were in school the first day of classes, up 18 from the previous year.

Eighth-grade numbers dropped from 280 in 2007-08 to 256 this year.

At Hanna Springs Intermediate School, the starting enrollment of 989 is 36 students less than the previous year's total of 1,025.

Third-graders numbered 233, a decrease of nine students from last year's first-day total.

There were 244 fourth-grade students on campus last week, or a decrease of eight from the 2007-08 opening-day figure.

In the fifth grade, 246 reported to Hanna Springs, a loss of 15 from last year.

And in the sixth grade, 266 students showed up for classes, a decrease of four for the start of school.

Kline Whitis Elementary had a loss of 42 students from the previous year, as 729 were registered on the first day of classes this year.

The second grade opened with 222 students -- 17 less than in the 2007-08 term.

Among first-graders, a decrease of 15 students was noted from the previous year, as 220 were in class this week, compared to 235 last year.

The kindergarten class was one of the few in the district -- and the only one at Kline Whitis -- to show an increase, with 228 enrolled versus last year's 221.

Fifty-nine pre-kindergarten students were in class the first day, compared to 76 at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year.

The superintendent has been at local campuses each day since the new term started and reported a good start to the year.

"Teachers and students are enthusiastic, and things couldn't be better."

Myers said though enrollment numbers are down, the LISD registered 20 additional students Tuesday. "I'm not going to panic yet. You never know what to expect or what we will end up with."

The ratio of teachers to students is good right now, he said. "We had to cut back on our staff -- about a half-million dollars -- so some classes are pretty tight." But the elementary classrooms remain within state guidelines, he noted. "And we don't need any more staff at this point in time. If we get more students, we have enough room to shift around, and we can handle it right now."

At Kline Whitis, construction in the main building is almost finished.

"The library there is a sight to behold," said the superintendent. "Kids are jumping up and down when they see it. It was the highlight of opening day for me. It feels good to have such a nice facility for our kids."

The slab has been poured for the metal gymnasium, and with a delay in the receipt of steel, the building should be finished in November. "As long as the weather holds out, there shouldn't be too many problems," Myers said.

Work on the new high school cafeteria is progressing. Until its completion, meals are being cooked at Lampasas Middle School and transported to LHS, and pizza is being brought in.

Two new restrooms have been completed, and a new classroom was added at the high school.

Myers said he feels somewhat nostalgic about the high school campus, while he looks forward to the opening of the new facility for the 2009-10 school term.

"My daughter is a freshman this year, and hers is the last freshman class to ever walk in that building," he said. "It's kind of sad and kind of neat at the same time because we know what will be waiting for us next year."

Construction on the new LHS campus is on schedule, as is work at Taylor Creek Elementary in the east end of the county. Dirt work is continuing.

"Before we know it, that building will be flying up, especially compared to the time frame of the high school," said the superintendent.

"And the community will have facilities it can be proud of for many years to come."