HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) – The Harrisonburg City Council was presented the population and school enrollment projections for the City of Harrisonburg through the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service during last night’s meeting.

The purpose of the study was to determine future growth in the City of Harrisonburg and how schools can prepare for it.

Zach Wilson, a Research and Policy Analyst for the Demographics Research Group at the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service lead the study and presented the findings to the council. According to the study, birth rates increased in the 2010’s before slowing and stabilizing in 2018. K-12 enrollment increased by 41% from 2010 to 2024. The number of immigrant also contributed the growth.

“The number of students born outside of the U.S. increased by 70%, or 764 students, from 2015 to 2024,” said Wilson. “Which tells us that immigration played a similarly important role inn driving K-12 enrollment through the city.”

The housing development also played a key role in the study, with older housing playing a more significant role in increased enrollment compared to new housing development.

Three projection charts were showed and the conclusion was that migration and births play a bigger role in K-12 enrollment compared to housing.